Security beefed up at Delhi’s Singhu border ahead of farmers’ march

Farmers Protest: Security was tightened at Delhi’s Singhu border on Sunday ahead of a protest march by farmers to the national capital to press their various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).

A group of 101 farmers will resume their foot march to Delhi at 12 noon from the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana.

“Delhi Police is on alert and security has been tightened at the Singhu border. A skeletal deployment has been made at the Singhu border but it may increase as per the situation at the Shambu border,” a senior police officer told PTI.

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Traffic may also be hit due to the security arrangements at the border and in the central part of Delhi, he said.

A strict vigil is also being maintained at the Noida border as another group of farmers from Uttar Pradesh has been protesting there, he added.

The officer said police are ready to tackle any situation.

The protesting farmers earlier attempted to march towards Delhi on February 13 and February 21 but were stopped by security forces.

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Besides MSP, the farmers are demanding a farm debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases (against farmers), and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the previous agitation in 2020-21 are also among their demands.