Farmers march stopped by Haryana police at Shambhu border

A 'jatha' of 101 farmers resumed their foot march to Delhi shortly after 12 noon on Saturday from the Shambhu protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops. However, after walking for a few metres, the protesting farmers were stopped by a multilayered barricading erected by the Haryana security personnel. This is the third attempt by the farmers to march towards the national capital. They had earlier made two similar attempts -- December 6 and December 8 -- but were not allowed to proceed by security personnel in Haryana.The police action led to tension at the protest site, as farmers attempted to move forward, but the authorities maintained their position, citing security concerns and the need to control the movement of protesters into Delhi.

#WATCH | Police use tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesting farmers at the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu Border.

The farmers have announced to march towards the National Capital-Delhi over their various demands. pic.twitter.com/tDMTy8iGXU

— ANI (@ANI) December 14, 2024

Ambala Superintendent of Police in response to the appeal said, "If you want to go to Delhi, you should take proper permission and once you get the permission, we will allow you to go. There was a hearing in the Supreme Court on Friday. Instructions have been given to hold a meeting. The next date of the meeting is December 18. We appeal to you to sit here peacefully and follow the rules." The Haryana government has ordered a temporary suspension of mobile internet, SMS, and dongle services in the Ambala district from December 14-17 to prevent spread of misinformation and potential law-and-order disruptions following the "Delhi Kooch" call by farmers' organizations amid the ongoing protests. The restrictions apply to specific villages, including Dangdehri, Lohgarh, and Saddopur. Essential services like individual SMS, banking communications, voice calls, and broadband remain unaffected to minimize public inconvenience while ensuring peace and order.