Bharatiya Kisan Union Ugrahan faction has announced Bharat Bandh on 16 February amidst the march to Delhi on 13 February by 26 farmer organizations. In view of the farmers’ march, Delhi’s borders have been fortified.
Apart from barbed wires, concrete blocks, barricades, nails on the road and other barriers have been installed at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders. Thousands of security personnel have been deployed. Section 144 has been imposed in Delhi.
The leaves of policemen have been cancelled. On the other hand, to end the movement, a second round of meeting of farmer leaders and Union Ministers will also be held in Chandigarh on Monday.
Delhi Police has become more alert after receiving intelligence that farmers are planning to launch a 2020-like movement. Apart from setting up a temporary office and control room on the Singhu border, the police have also installed CCTV cameras within a radius of about one km.
The area is being monitored with the help of drones. More than 5,000 soldiers, including 16 companies of paramilitary forces, have been deployed on the borders. There are preparations to keep Tikri border completely sealed along with Singhu on Tuesday.
Apart from Apsara, Bhopura, Anand Vihar, Chilla, vigil has also been increased on Badarpur border. Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora visited the borders of Haryana and UP.
Farmers gathered in large numbers on the borders of Haryana
After the announcement of Bharat Bandh, a large number of farmers from Punjab had gathered on the borders of Haryana. To stop these, Haryana has closed the Shambhu Border and Jharmari Border. BSF soldiers have also been deployed on the borders. Apart from Chandigarh, Section 144 has been imposed in 15 districts.
No entry from the Singhu border
According to the advisory of Delhi Police, commercial vehicles will not be able to enter the Singhu border from February 12. There will be a ban on entry of all vehicles from 13th February. The police have made extensive arrangements in view of the farmers’ movement.
Special tractor ready for March
According to intelligence reports, farmers have prepared special types of tractors for the Delhi march. These are equipped with hydraulics, which are capable of removing barricades and boulders.
Alerting the governments of Punjab, UP, Haryana and Delhi, the agencies have said that more than 25,000 farmers from different places of Punjab-Haryana will leave for Delhi with 5,000 tractors.
Everyone’s eyes are on the meeting of farmer leaders and Union Ministers to be held in Chandigarh at 5 pm. In this, Union Ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and 10 representatives of different farmer organizations will be present from the Centre.
