Farmers' Protest LIVE Updates: BKU says chakka jam to be held in 15 Punjab districts; roads blocked in Sangrur, Bathinda

Farmers’ Protest LATEST Updates: Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said they are holding road blockades at 33 places in 15 districts including Sangrur, Barnala and Bathinda in Punjab. In the morning, farmers started assembling at their earmarked protest sites for ‘chakka jam’ in both the states.

“Elders and youth have gathered here to participate in chakka jam. It will be peaceful,” said a protester at the Punjab-Haryana border in Shambhu near Ambala.

“We want that the government should repeal these three laws as they are not in the interest of the farming community,” said another protester.

Protesting farmers said emergency vehicles including ambulances and school buses will be allowed during the ‘chakka jam’.

Reports said that the chakka jam protest, being led by the SKM, has begun across the country. In Bengaluru, protesters who were demonstrating outside the Yelankha police station were detained, reports said.

In Punjab, farmers have blocked the Lehragaga-Jakhal highway in the Sangrur district. The Indian Express also reported that farmers have blocked the Ladowal toll on National Highway 1 in Ludhiana.

The Haryana Police has also stepped up security measures in view of the protesting farmer unions’ call for a countrywide ‘chakka jam’ on Saturday. Senior police officers have been asked to personally supervise security and traffic arrangements at vital junctions and roads, while district police chiefs have been directed to ensure deployment of adequate personnel, according to an official communication issued to them.

“It is assessed that as part of the protest programme on 6 February, protesting farmers/unions may attempt road blockades of important national highways, state highways and interior roads,” it said, asking the police to ensure necessary security arrangements are in place.

The police commissioners and district police chiefs have also been asked to make all out efforts to liaise with local leaders of farmer organisations to ensure peaceful conduct of their proposed programme, it said.

The Delhi Police has tightened security ahead of the chakka jam planned by the SKM on Saturday. Delhi Police commissioner SN Shrivastava on Friday held a meeting with senior officers of the force and reviewed the security arrangements.

The police will also be monitoring content on the social media to keep a watch on those spreading rumours against the force.

After the violence on 26 January that had left over 500 security personnel injured and one protestor dead, Shrivastava had accused the protesting farmer union leaders of “betrayal and breaching the agreement” as some farmers deviated from their pre-decided routes for the tractor parade.

Elaborating about the security arrangements for the proposed ‘chakka jam’, Delhi Police PRO Chinmoy Biswal said that in view of the violence that took place on Republic Day, adequate security arrangements have been put in place at the borders so that miscreants are not able enter the National Capital.

While farmers have said that no chakka jam will be held in Delhi, the police said they have taken additional measures to deal with any situation emerging out of the protest.

“We are monitoring content on the social media to make sure rumours are not spread against the police. The protestors are camping at the borders of Delhi. We are in touch with the police force of other states also,” he added. A senior police officer said to prevent any kind of law and order situation and disruption of normal life during the ‘chakka jam’, adequate forces are being deployed across the outer-north district of Delhi Police.

After the Republic Day violence, the Delhi Police has deployed additional measures, including tightening security and intensifying vigil at the city’s border points, to deal with any situation emerging out of the proposed ‘chakka jam‘ on Saturday by farmers protesting the Centre’s new farm laws.

Delhi Police commissioner SN Shrivastava also held a meeting with senior officers of the force and reviewed the security arrangements on Friday.

The police will also be monitoring content on the social media to keep a watch on those spreading rumours against the force, PTI quoted officials as saying.

After the violence on 26 January that had left over 500 security personnel injured and one protestor dead, Shrivastava had accused the protesting farmer union leaders of betrayal and breaching the agreement as thousands of peasants deviated from their pre-decided routes for the tractor parade.

Some farmers atop tractors had broken barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort on Republic Day.

Farmer unions on Monday had announced countrywide ‘chakka jam‘ on 6 February, when they will block national and state highways between 12 pm and 3 pm to protest the internet ban in areas near their agitation sites, harassment allegedly meted out to them by authorities, and other issues.

Elaborating about the security arrangements for the proposed ‘chakka jam‘, Delhi Police PRO Chinmoy Biswal on Friday said in view of the violence that took place on 26 January, adequate security arrangements have been put in place by the Delhi Police at the borders so that miscreants are not able enter the National Capital.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of the farmer unions protesting the three farm laws, on Friday said there would be no ‘chakka jam‘ in Delhi on 6 February, even as it asserted that peasants in other parts of the country will block national and state highways for three hours but in a peaceful way.

However, police said they have taken additional measures to deal with any situation emerging out of the ‘chakka jam’.

“We are monitoring content on the social media to make sure rumours are not spread against the police. The protestors are camping at the borders of Delhi. We are in touch with the police force of other states also,” he added.

A senior police officer said to prevent any kind of law and order situation and disruption of normal life during the ‘chakka jam’, adequate forces are being deployed across the outer-north district of Delhi Police.

“We have a very high security arrangement at Singhu border at present but for Saturday, we are strengthening it at the border.

“We are deploying forces at all important points in the entire outer-north district of Delhi Police as a preventative measure to ensure that traffic and normal life is not affected, and also to ensure that there is no law and order situation or unauthorized ‘chakka jam’ being done by violating norms,” he said.

Another senior police officer from east district of Delhi Police said as a precautionary measure, iron nails studded on the roads have also been repositioned behind the barricades at the Ghazipur border, another protest site.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Deepak Yadav said, “According to the protesting farmers, they will not enter the national capital, but still as a precautionary measure, we have made adequate security arrangements to maintain law and order. Adequate police presence will be in place at all important points and junctions across the district.

“There will be additional deployment of pickets at all the border points. All vehicles will be checked thoroughly at the entry and exit points of pickets and borders. Additional buses have already been taken and extra barricades are being put up at the picket points across the city.”