NO BREAKTHROUGH! Farmers lay siege to Punjab Haryana border, talks again today

NT Bureau, Agencies

Chandigarh/New Delhi: Three Union ministers will meet farmer leaders in Chandigarh Thursday for another round of talks as the standoff between the protesters and police at the PunjabHaryana border entered its second day, marked by more clashes between the two sides.

At Shambhu border point near Ambala, there was intermittent shelling Wednesday by security personnel at the ‘Delhi Chalo' protesters who are demanding minimum support price for their crops.

Tear smoke was used whenever any group of farmers moved towards the barricades. Security personnel faced stone-pelting from the protesters.

A similar standoff continued at the at Data Singhwala-Khanauri border in Haryana's Jind district.

But the situation remained less volatile compared to Tuesday, when farmers tried to shift cement barriers at Shambhu with their tractors, attempting to push towards Delhi.

Farmer leaders claimed that over 100 protesters were hurt Tuesday, hit by rubber bullets and tear gas shells. Police said 24 of their own men were injured in the stone-pelting by protesters during the first day of the protest.

It will be the third round of meetings between the farmer leaders and the Centre in Chandigarh after farm organisations announced their plan to march to Delhi.

The two earlier meetings, held before the march began, remained inconclusive.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' agitation to put pressure on the Centre for their demands, including a law on MSP, loan waivers and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations.

Multiple layers of concrete blocks and metal spikes are placed at Delhi's Singhu and Tikri borders with Haryana as well as at the Ghazipur border with Uttar Pradesh.

At the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana, protesters arranged tankers for water to counter the irritation caused due to tear smoke. They also flew kites, hoping this would interfere with the movement of a drone.