Borders still shut, farmers hold their ground

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, November 28

Thousands of farmers today camped at the Haryana-Delhi border at Tikri Kalan village. They blocked it by setting up barricades and placing their tractor-trailers on the Rohtak-Delhi highway in the presence of a heavy police posse.

A patch of over 3 km on the bypass in Bahadurgarh town was packed with vehicles of the protesters, who were reluctant to go to Burari instead of Ramlila Ground in the National Capital. Those who could not reach the border were resting in their vehicles and roaming on the highway.

“Come what may, we will not move ahead from Tikri border till the Centre does not allow us to go to Ramlila Ground. Everyone has the constitutional right to protest peacefully, but the Centre is trying to incite us. We will go back to Punjab only after the Centre revokes all three ‘black’ laws,” said Pragat Singh, a farmer leader.

Meanwhile, Punjab Education and PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla and Haryana Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda also arrived at the Tikri border to support the protesting farmers. Singla condemned the action of the Haryana Police against the farmers and assured that the Congress stands with them.

Also, activists of the BKU burnt the effigy of CM Manohar Lal Khattar, stating that he was turning a blind eye towards their plight.