Punjab: Tear gas, water cannon used against protesting farmers at Shambhu border

PTI, Dec 14, 2024, 1:27 PM IST

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Chandigarh: Haryana security personnel fired tear gas shells and used a water cannon to disperse the protesting farmers from heading towards Delhi at the Shambhu border point on Saturday.

The action came after a ‘jatha’ of 101 farmers, who resumed their foot march to Delhi shortly after 12 noon on Saturday from the Shambhu protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border, reached the barricades put up by the Haryana security personnel.

A few farmers were injured in the tear gas shelling and taken to a nearby hospital in ambulances stationed at the protest site.

Earlier, Ambala Deputy Commissioner Parth Gupta and Ambala Superintendent of Police S S Bhoria engaged in talks with some protesting farmers for over half an hour, trying to convince them to get permission from Delhi to go towards the national capital.

However, farmers were adamant about going to Delhi and urged the security personnel to allow them to proceed.

The farmers are pressing the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

After walking for a few metres, the group of farmers were stopped at the barricade by Haryana security personnel.

It was the third attempt by protesting farmers to march towards the national capital. Farmers had earlier made two attempts — December 6 and December 8 — but were not allowed to proceed by security personnel in Haryana.

The farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been pressing for various demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP. They have also been pressing the Centre to initiate talks with them to address their issues.

The Ambala district administration has already clamped a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) that bans the unlawful assembly of five or more people in the district.

The Ambala police had earlier said the farmer outfits, which are agitating for a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price and other demands, can march to Delhi only after getting permission from the national capital administration.