Chandigarh Farmers’ protest at the Shambhu border continued for the second consecutive day on Wednesday as police reportedly lobbed tear gas shells at them.
Farmer leaders will hold a meeting soon and decide their course of action.
Farmers have been agitating around 400 metres away from the barrier.
Many from Haryana continued till late Tuesday night. However, this could not be verified.
As many as 200 tractor trolleys have joined the protest on Wednesday morning and the convoy of tractor trolleys parked alongside the highway stretch is now over 4 km long.
Farmers adamant on reaching Delhi
Farmers gathered at the spot say they will not budge till they cross into Haryana and reach Delhi.
Makeshift hospitals have been started at the site even as the Punjab government has alerted all nearby government hospitals and community health centres. Health Minister Balbir Singh will visit the injured farmers in Rajpura.
‘Breaking barricades or getting into a confrontation with the cops and govt not our agenda’
Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher says, “Breaking barricades or getting into a confrontation with the cops and the government is not our agenda. We only want that the government accepts our genuine demands or otherwise it allows us to reach Delhi for protest. This is our democratic right.”
“It has been projected as if we want to break into Haryana and create lawlessness. It is not true. We only want that the farmers who are fighting for their rights on MSP and other issues are heard and it’s made a law,” said Pandher.
Traffic affected as Delhi’s border areas heavily barricaded
Traffic was affected in the border areas of Delhi on Wednesday as police erected several layers of barricades and stopped the movement of vehicles at the Singhu and Tikri borders in view of farmers’ proposed march to Delhi.
Singhu and Tikri borders closed
While Singhu and Tikri borders with Haryana have been entirely closed for traffic, vehicular movement is still allowed at the Ghazipur border in a regulated manner.
A section of a road in a village near the Singhu border was dug up to prevent the farmers’ march to Delhi.
Apsara and Ghazipur borders with Uttar Pradesh are open for traffic but there is a heavy security deployment at both.