Farmers protest: Singhu, Tikri borders shut; security beefed up to stop protesters' march to Delhi

Authorities intensified security arrangements on Tuesday to stop a farmers march from entering Delhi as the Singhu and Tikri borders were shut while the Red Fort complex was closed temporarily after peasants on their way to the national capital clashed with police at the Shambhu border between Haryana and PunjabMultilayer barricades concrete blocks iron nails and walls of containers have been placed at the Ghazipur Singhu and Tikri borders with the deployment of a large number of security personnel in antiriot gearWith massive security arrangements at the three border points commuters had a harrowing time as they spent hours stuck in jampacked trafficMetal and concrete barricades were put up at many places in central Delhi as part of the security arrangements Multiple gates of nine metro stations near important installations including Parliament were shut The gates were opened laterSpecial Commissioner of Police Law and Order Ravindra Yadav while visiting the Singhu border in the evening made an announcement asking the personnel to respond aggressively if the protesting farmers try to enter Delhi and show aggressionThe Samyukta Kisan Morcha NonPolitical and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the Delhi Chalo agitation to put pressure on the BJPled Centre for their demands including a law on a minimum support price for crops and loan waiversDelhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora visited the Tikri and Singhu borders to review the security arrangementsMeanwhile the Delhi government rejected the Centres proposal to convert the Bawana stadium into a makeshift jail in view of the farmers march to the national capitalDelhi Home Minister Kailash Gahlot wrote to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar denying permission for the same and expressed solidarity with the farmersEarlier in the day farmers from Punjab faced tear gas shells some dropped by a drone at two border points of HaryanaPunjab as protesters tried to break past barricades that were installed to stop them from heading to DelhiPolice hurled tear gas shells and the protesters hurled stones at the Shambhu border near Haryanas Ambala Tear gas was also used against protesters at the border between the two states in Haryanas Jind districtHours after the clashes between the farmers and security personnel at the PunjabHaryana border the Delhi Police closed the Tikri and Singhu borders for the movement of vehicles forcing people to cross these points on footTraffic crawled at a snails pace at many places in the DelhiNational Capital RegionArun Singh from Uttarakhand who was on his way to visit his ailing father at a Delhi hospital felt helpless after being stuck in traffic at the Ghazipur border for hoursI have travelled from Uttarakhand to meet my 78yearold father who is admitted to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital My family and I have been stuck here since 11 am It is an extremely frustrating situation for us and we feel angry and helpless Singh told PTIPeople had to cross the Singhu border between Delhi and Haryana on footSatya Prakash from Himachal Pradesh had no idea that the border was sealed for traffic movementWe came all the way from Himachal Pradesh on some work We have to go to Delhi The bus driver stopped the vehicle at the border from where we are walking towards the city he saidMeanwhile the Red Fort complex was temporarily closed for visitors due to security reasonsAsked when the 17thcentury monument will reopen an official said it will be the call of security agenciesThe Delhi Police has issued prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure CrPC for a month banning an assembly of five or more people processions or rallies and the entry of tractortrolleys ferrying peopleThe Delhi Metro regulated passenger entry and exit at nine stations by shutting some gatesThe commuters were allowed to enter or exit these stations through other gatesThe stations where one or more gates were closed were Rajiv Chowk Mandi House Central Secretariat Patel Chowk Udyog Bhawan Janpath Barakhamba Road Lok Kalyan Marg and Khan Market a senior official saidOne gate was closed at the Khan Market station the official addedDuring their protest in 2020 farmers from different states mainly Punjab Haryana and Uttar Pradesh had staged a sitin at the Singhu Ghazipur and Tikri bordersThey sat there from August 2020 to December 2021Police had to rush logistics in 2020 to check the entry of the farmers moving in a procession of tractorsA senior Delhi Police officer said learning from past experience tight security arrangements were made this timePolice have also sealed rural roads bordering Haryana to stop the protesters from moving ahead to enter DelhiThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its 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