On Wednesday morning, the Haryana police deployed tear gas shells against protesting farmers at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border, who have been demonstrating for their Minimum Support Price (MSP) demand. Equipped with gas masks, bulldozers, and heavy machinery, the farmers continue to oppose the government.
The Haryana police issued a warning to owners of earthmover machines and bulldozers participating in the protest, cautioning them of potential criminal liability. In a statement on X, the police emphasized that these machines could be utilized to harm security forces, constituting a non-bailable offense.
In response to the police’s efforts to halt their march with barricades and tear gas shells, the farmers returned with modified JCB machines, earthmovers, bulldozers, and makeshift gas masks. The government has also taken countermeasures, placing reinforced boulders, loaded buses, trucks, and shipping containers to impede the farmers’ entry into the national capital.
To counter the farmers, the police have deployed bulldozers, while farmers’ leader Sarwan Singh Pandher affirmed their commitment to a peaceful ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. He stated, “Our top leaders will move forward, and the entire world will see us moving ahead peacefully. If the government feels that by killing the farmers their problems will be solved, then it can do so. But we will continue to move forward peacefully.” Pandher emphasized that any violence would be the responsibility of the government.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court criticized the protesting farmers on Tuesday, stating that tractor-trolleys cannot be used on highways, citing the Motor Vehicle Act. The court underscored the existence of constitutional duties alongside rights.
The Haryana Police, on Tuesday, urged their Punjab counterparts to seize bulldozers, citing safety concerns. The ongoing protest by farmers centers around their demand for a legal guarantee of MSP for all crops. Despite the Central government’s offer of MSP on specific crops for the next five years on Monday, the protesting farmers rejected the proposal. The estimated presence at the Shambhu border includes around 14,000 farmers, accompanied by 1,200 tractors and 300 cars.