Farmers' strike LIVE updates: Protesters enter Delhi through Tikri border

Farmers protest LIVE updates: Farmers have been allowed to hold peaceful protest at the Nirankari Ground in north Delhi

12:14 AM

Left parties condemn police action on protesting farmers; ask Centre to roll back laws

11:25 PM

Many farmer groups heading to national capital holding sit-ins on way

Amid the Delhi Chalo call to protest against the three Central farm laws, Uttar Pradesh farmers on Friday staged demonstrations at many places in the state, including Lucknow, while heading to the national capital.

 

Other places where farmers held protests, blocking roads and disrupting traffics, included Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar in western UP and Jhansi and Jalaun in Bundelkhand region.

 

The key roads affected by the stir included Delhi-Dehradun National Highway, whose whole stretch from Hardwar to Delhi had to shut down, besides the Jhansi-Mirzapur and Meerut-Karnal road.

 

In Lucknow, farmers staged a demonstration at Naubasta Kala under Chinhat police station area, while hundreds of them belonging to Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat and Gautam Buddh Nagar in western UP reached the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Greater Noida on their way to Delhi.

 

As the group headed to Delhi from the Expressway after being stopped their briefly, many other groups of Bharatiya Kisan Union expressed their intentions to reach the national capital on Saturday from various parts of the western UP.

9:10 PM

Use of tear gas aggravated misery of farmers already in tears over farm laws: Bhupinder Singh Hooda

Congress leader and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday condemned the use of force against the farmers by Haryana police and said that tear gas and water cannon "aggravated the misery of farmers" who are already in tears against the three recently-enacted farm laws.

 

"Farmers were marching peacefully. They are already in tears and tear gas was fired on them. Water cannons are dangerous in this weather, yet they were used. There is only one solution and that is to talk with the farmers and sort out their issues. Their demands are valid and we are also supporting them," Hooda told ANI.

 

Hooda also requested people of Haryana help the farmers coming towards Delhi by providing them food, shelter, and any kind of medical help.

 

"I would request the people of Haryana that marching farmers should not face any shortage of food. If they require medical help, people should provide it along with shelter," he added. Hooda also urged the state and central governments to listen to the grievances of the farmers and find a solution.

9:00 PM

More Punjab farmers enter Haryana for 'Delhi Chalo' protest, state police lift all barriers

More Punjab farmers crossed the state's border with Haryana on Friday, some of them after facing water cannons and teargas as they headed towards Delhi to join thousands who had already reached the national capital's borders. But by evening, all Haryana Police barricades at the border with Punjab and along the highway to Delhi were lifted, allowing traffic to run as before.

 

Traffic on the highway to Delhi's and other roads was restored, with the Haryana Police removing barricades meant to thwart the Delhi Chalo protest against the Centre's new farm laws.

 

The barriers which had been put up earlier have been lifted. Vehicular traffic is plying normally, Karnal Range Inspector General of Police Bharti Arora told PTI.

8:50 PM

Farmers Protests LIVE: Police make arrangements at Burari ground

8:24 PM

LIVE: Farmers from Punjab settle down at Singhu border, planning for further action

8:23 PM

Huge traffic snarls on National Highway 48 amid farmer protests

Amid demonstrations against the farm bills passed by the central government, commuters on the National Highway-48 also known as Delhi-Jaipur Expressway faced huge traffic snarls throughout Friday. According to senior police officers, none of the farmer groups crossed or entered Delhi amid the protests from this route.

 

But the commuters on the National Highway-48 were stuck again on Friday in a huge traffic jam. During the rush hours two-kilometre long traffic jams were witnessed on the expressway as the Delhi police had erected barricades to stop farmers from entering the national capital.

 

Due to this, many people could not reach their destinations on time. However, the situation was much better on Friday than on Thursday. Due to congestion on the stretch the Gurugram police had removed barricades during the peak hours, bringing relief to commuters travelling between Gurugram and Delhi.

7:56 PM

Delhi govt to provide essential amenities to farmers at Nirankari Maidan

Farmers from Punjab have been allowed to demonstrate at the Nirankari grounds in Delhi's Burari to protest against the Centre's agricultural laws. At the same time, the Delhi government has decided to provide basic facilities to the farmers at Nirankari grounds, beginning with drinking water. The Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi has asked its MLA and Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman Raghav Chadha to take stock of the situation by reaching Burari.

 

The Delhi government said in a press briefing, "Raghav Chadha, Vice Chairman, Delhi Jal Board, will visit the Nirankari grounds, Burari on Friday evening. Proper arrangements for drinking water will be made for farmers who are protesting at the approved protest site. Water tankers are being deployed here. To oversee the preparations, DJB vice-president Raghav Chadha is going to the dharna site."

 

Chadha told IANS, "Farmers have a right to speak and cannot be treated like criminals. Our farmer brothers and sisters are reaching Delhi from all corners of the country. They have come here to protest the black farm laws passed by the Modi government. Now they have got permission to come to the Nirankari grounds. Whatever they need here, whether it is water, food, toilets, the Arvind Kejriwal government will provide it. All the officers and MLAs are keeping an eye on the arrangements."

7:38 PM

LIVE: More Punjab farmers enter Haryana for 'Delhi Chalo' protest

More Punjab farmers forced their way across the state's border with Haryana on Friday, some of them facing water cannons and teargas as they hoped to join thousands who had already reached Delhi to protest against the Centre's farm laws. As on Thursday, the Haryana Police initially tried to stop them from entering the state from the Shambhu border in Ambala district. They lobbed teargas shells and deployed water cannons as protesters tried to push past barriers.

 

Some youths threw metal barricades into the Ghaggar river from the bridge where they were stopped, repeating what an earlier group of farmers had done on Thursday.

 

In the evening, the Haryana Police removed the barricades, allowing the farmers to pass through on their tractor-trolleys and continue their "Delhi Chalo" march. Farmers linked to the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) also broke through police barricades at Khanauri and Dabwali border points between Punjab and Haryana. Their union leaders had earlier said they will stay put at Khanauri and Dabwali, holding their protest there. But the organisation changed its stand under pressure from supporters.

7:19 PM

Braving tear gas shells, water canons, farmers continue their fight against farms laws

Braving tear gas shells and water canons they camped at the Delhi borders for several hours, making multiple attempts to break barricades and resorting to stone pelting, but agitating farmers continued with their fight against the new farm laws. Carrying flags and shouting slogans, thousands of farmers gathered at various entry points into the national capital in a determined bid to push their way through as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march while police blocked them with barricades, teargas shells and batons.

 

Police resorted to lathicharge for a brief time to control protesters who broke barricades. Hours later, they were granted permission to enter Delhi and stage a peaceful protest at Nirankari ground in Burari.

 

"We will not go back till our demands are met. We will stage a peaceful protest now at the designated place. We had to cross several barricades to reach the place but we are ready to face anything," one of the protesting farmers said.

6:55 PM

Farmer dies, two injured in Haryana's Bhiwani district as truck hits tractor-trolley

6:55 PM

Farmers refuse to leave Sindhu border as agitation 'could weaken'

Even as the Delhi Police on Friday allowed farmers from Punjab, Haryana and elsewhere to hold a peaceful protest against the controversial Agriculture Bills at the Sant Nirankari ground in the capital's Burari area, the farmers refused to leave Delhi-Haryana Sindhu border fearing that their protest would be "weakened".

 

Delhi Police made the announcement after using tear gas shells and water cannons on the protesting farmers, and undertaking a baton charge to disperse them as they tried to enter Delhi.

 

Gurpreet Singh, a farmer associated with Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta in Punjab, told IANS, "We are holding talks with our representatives as of now to decide whether we will got to Burari ground or not." Singh said that most of the farmers don't want to go at Burari ground and that is the reason why they are all are sitting.

 

"Till the time the government does not accept our three demands, we will sit here," he asserted.

6:41 PM

Delhi govt officials reach Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari to review arrangements for farmers' ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest

6:30 PM

Farmers enter Delhi from Tikri border after braving water canons, clashing with police

After braving water cannons and clashing with security personnel, thousands of farmers started entering the national capital on Friday from the Tikri border after the Delhi Police granted them permission to hold peaceful protest at the city's Burari ground. The farmers, who were part of the 'Delhi Chalo' march against the Centre's new farm laws, were escorted by police personnel amid tight security as they started entering the city from Tikri Border around 3 pm.

 

Delhi Police on Friday allowed protestors to hold their protest at Nirankari Ground - one of the biggest grounds in the national capital.

 

However, farmers gathered at the Singhu Border have not entered the city so far. Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police used tear gas at the Singhu Border to disperse protesting farmers who were trying to head towards the national capital. Farmers also pelted stones at police and broke barricades in an attempt to enter Delhi. Heavy police deployment had been made at the city borders to prevent their entry.

6:02 PM

Former Haryana CM appeals to people to extend all possible help to farmers marching towards Delhi

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday appealed to the people of the state to extend all possible help like food and accommodation to farmers marching towards the national capital as part of a 'Delhi Chalo' march against the Centre's new farm laws. Carrying flags and shouting slogans, thousands of farmers have gathered at various entry points into the national capital in a determined bid to push their way through while police blocked them with barricades, teargas shells and batons.

 

"All arrangements for accommodation and food should be made. All possible help should also be extended to the farmers who may need medical help or treatment," said Hooda.

 

Clashes broke out at multiple places and Delhi's borders resembled a virtual battle zone with restless crowds of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, milling around and a sea of police personnel keeping them at bay. Drones circled the air and plumes of smoke from teargas shells could be seen from far. Referring to use of water cannons and tear gas against the protesting farmers, Hooda said the BJP-JJP government in Haryana has tried to "suppress a peaceful movement of farmers in a dictatorial manner".