Farmers along with family members stage a protest during their 'Delhi Chalo' march, near the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Amid the ongoing farmers' protest, the Haryana government on Tuesday announced that mobile internet services and bulk SMS will remain suspended at certain places in Ambala district till February 29.
Mobile internet and bulk SMS services were first suspended in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa on February 11, with repeated suspensions.
Farmers had launched a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march in early February to press the Centre to accept their demands — including a law on minimum support price for crops and a farm loan waiver.
Protesting farmers from Punjab are camping at Shambhu and Khanauli border points of the state's border with Haryana since February 13, when their march was stopped by security personnel. Farm leaders have said protesters will stay put till February 29 before deciding their next course of action.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Tuesday said, "The deadlock is from the government's end and not from our end. We have told the government that all our options are open. The government now needs to take a decision."
Meanwhile, farmers' groups have disagreements over the Delhi Chalo march. Phander said several meetings were held with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha over the issue, but it was not in favour of the march to the national capital.
Pandher said this while responding to the SKM's claims in the media that it was neither invited nor consulted before deciding about the 'Delhi Chalo' call. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march.
The SKM, an umbrella body of several farmer unions, is not part of the 'Delhi Chalo' call but it has been extending support to the protest.