Farmers protest Day 2: Police lob tear gas shells at farmers in Shambhu

Farmers protest Day 2: Police lob tear gas shells at farmers in Shambhu

Shambhu: Farmers from Punjab continued to stay put at the two borders of the state and Haryana on Wednesday while security personnel fired some tear gas shells on the protesters at the Shambhu border near Ambala.

As the peasants gather there to resume their ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest, farmer leaders will first hold a meeting before moving ahead with their plan to break multi-layered barricades at the Shambhu border in an attempt to march towards Delhi.

With the farmers from several places in Punjab continuing to pour in to participate in the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, a large number of tractor-trolleys could be seen parked along the national highway on the Punjab side.

The protesting farmers from Punjab plan to make a fresh attempt to break past the multiple layers of barricades at the border with Haryana.

The Haryana security personnel lobbed a few tear gas shells on Wednesday morning after some farmers gathered near the barricades at the Shambhu border, the protesters claimed.

While the protesting farmers said they were determined to march towards the national capital, many young farmers have made their tractors ready for removing the multi-layered cemented blocks at the Shambhu border.

They have also made arrangements of water tankers in order to minimise the impact of any tear gas shells lobbed by the Haryana security personnel.The farmers were also carrying water bottles and wet clothes to limit the impact of tear gas shells.

One of the protesters was seen wearing body protective gear along with eye protective safety goggles at the Shambhu border.

Many farmers said they sustained injuries and faced difficulties in breathing and irritation in eyes because of the tear gas shells lobbed by the Haryana security personnel on Tuesday.

A protesting farmer at the Shambhu border slammed the BJP-led Centre for writing off huge corporate debts but not giving what the farmers wanted.

The farmers just wanted the government to give a legal guarantee to the minimum support price (MSP), he said.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher criticised the Centre for its police action against the protesting farmers, saying many cultivators were injured.

“We urge the government to stop all this and ensure a positive atmosphere. We were ready for talks yesterday and we are ready for it even today,” said Pandher.

Pandher said neither the government was accepting their demands nor was it letting them head towards Delhi to put forth their issues.

Asked whether the farmers have received any invitation for holding talks, Pandher said it was being said the Centre was inviting them for a dialogue. “We will consider that invitation,” said Pandher while speaking to reporters at the Shambhu border. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has enquired about the health of a farmer who sustained injuries during a police action at the Shambhu border.

During his visit to Rajpura hospital, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring arranged a conversation between Gandhi and the farmers over a mobile phone.

The Punjab authorities have raised an objection with the Haryana authorities for the use of a drone for dropping tear gas shells inside the Punjab territory, said a senior official on Wednesday.