TOP STORY/ Farmers' March: Section 144 Imposed on Borders Connecting UP, Thousands of Policemen Deployed

NEW DELHI: With the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announcing the 'Delhi Chalo' march by more than 200 farmers' unions on February 13, to press the Centre for accepting their demands, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on Sunday took the stock of preparations and security arrangements at the borders connecting Uttar Pradesh with the national capital. Section 144 has been imposed on the borders in Delhi's North East district, Republic has learnt. Additionally, thousands of policemen have been deployed at the borders to prevent any untoward incident, in the wake of another farmers' protest march to Delhi.

“All the police personnel are being imparted training”, a senior police official said, while mentioning that the Delhi Police expects all the farmers who've already left for the scheduled march from their respective states to enter the national capital from the Singhu Border, the Tikri Border and the Ghazipur Border. 

Meanwhile, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Pandher condemned the Haryana government for its decision to suspend mobile internet services and bulk SMS in several districts.

Earlier on Saturday, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher had revealed that farmer leaders have been invited by the Centre for a meeting to discuss their issues on February 12, news agency PTI reported. Three Union ministers – Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai – are expected to visit Chandigarh tomorrow to hold talks with a deputation of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Chandigarh.

Notably, the first meeting with the ministers took place on February 8 in which a detailed discussion was held with the leaders of farmer organisations that had planned 'Delhi Chalo' march to press for their demands, including a law to guarantee a minimum support price for crops.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who had coordinated with the farmer leaders for arranging the meeting, had also participated in it. After the conclusion of the meeting, Mann had reportedly announced that the ministers and farmer leaders agreed on many things, including withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the previous agitation against the now-repealed farm laws and strict punishment for fake seeds and chemicals.