After violence-marred tractor rally on Republic Day, farmers protesting against the three farm laws have given a call for a three-hour “peaceful chakka jam” across the country, except Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, on Saturday.
The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), spearheading the agitation against the farm laws, had given a call for blocking national and state highways on Saturday to protest against the internet ban near the protest sites and alleged harassment of the protesters by the police.
Keen to avoid a repeat of the events of January 26, the Delhi Police has stepped up security across the three protest sites – Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders of the national capital by erecting cement barriers, putting barbed wires and iron spikes to prevent the entry of farmers’ tractors in the city.
“There will be no chakka jam programme inside Delhi since all the protest sites are already in a chakka jam mode. All roads for entering into Delhi will remain open except where farmers' protest sites are already located,” Darshan Pal, leader of the SKM said.
Pal said the 'chakka jam' would be observed between 12:00 noon and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday when all national and state highways would be blocked.
“Emergency and essential services such as ambulances and school buses will not be stopped and the chakka jam would be peaceful,” Pal said.
In a separate statement, Bhartiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been exempted from the chakka jam as he apprehended that a few people could attempt to spread violence.
“We have decided to tweak the protests in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and will be handing over a memorandum to district magistrates,” Tikait and BKU leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three Delhi border points – Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur – for over 70 days, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws.
According to the SKM, the 'chakka jam' will conclude at 3 pm by blowing vehicle horns for one minute, a move aimed at expressing support and solidarity with the farmers.
Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava held a meeting with the senior officers to review the security arrangements.
Delhi Police PRO Chinmoy Biswal said in view of the violence on January 26, adequate security arrangements have been put in place by the Delhi Police at the borders so that miscreants are not able to enter the national capital.
“We are monitoring content on social media to make sure rumours are not spread against the police,” he added.