Farmer Leaders to Decide Next Course of Action on Feb 29; Tensions Escalate

Tensions continued to escalate on Punjab-Haryana border as the police fired tear gas shells on protesting farmers who tried to move from Hisar side to Khanauri. Meanwhile, farmer leaders decided to take a final call on their Delhi Chalo march on February 29. They refused to allow post mortem on young farmer Shubhkaran's dead body till action is taken against those responsible for his death.

Chandigarh:Farmer leaders on Friday said they will decide their next course of action on their 'Delhi Chalo' call on February 29, and announced a candle march on Saturday and burning of Centre's effigies two days later.

The decision was taken by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) on Friday, which are spearheading the ongoing agitation at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Haryana and Punjab over various demands including a legal guarantee for MSP.

"The next announcement about the agitation will be made on February 29," KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told the media at the Khanauri border point. He also announced they will hold a candle march on February 24 and will burn the effigies of the Centre on February 26.

The protesting farmers are unrelenting in pushing for their demands and refused to conduct cremation of the 22-year-old deceased farmer Shubhkaran Singh at Khanauri border till action is taken against those responsible for the death. The Haryana police used tear gas on a huge crowds of farmers when they tried to move towards the Punjab border from Kheri Chopta in Hisar district of Haryana.

The family of the young farmer Shubhkaran Singh rejected the government's offer of the Rs 1 crore ex gratia. On the other hand, Haryana Police took a U-turn from its earlier decision to take action under the National Security Act (NSA) against some farmer leaders protesting along the Punjab-Haryana border. It has clarified that NSA will not be invoked against the farm leaders and unions.

Ambala Range IG Sibash Kabiraj said that no action will be taken against the farm leaders under the provisions of the NSA. His earlier post on social media announcing action under NSA against the protesting farmers has also been deleted.

In a statement issued by Haryana Police this morning, Kabiraj clarified that the decision of invoking provisions of the NSA has been "reconsidered" and it has been decided that NSA will not be invoked. He has also appealed the farmers to maintain law and order.

On Thursday, Ambala Police had issued a statement saying it was initiating process to detain office bearers of the unions of protesting farmers under section 2(3) of the National Security Act, 1980 to maintain law and order and prevent criminal activites. Police alleged that a continuous attempt is being made by the protesters to break the barricades erected on the Shambhu border since February 13 in connection with the 'Delhi Chalo' march.

Police said the protesters are trying to disrupt law and order by pelting stones at police personnel and creating ruckus at the border. During the protest, government and private properties were vandalised, police said. Two policemen died and 30 others were injured, including one who suffered a brain hemorrhage.

Police also said that the protesters were using social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram to share posts that were disturbing the social harmony. Posts are being made continuously on social media to disturb social harmony, police alleged adding that wrong words were being used against administrative officers and the government.

Earlier, police initiated the process to attach properties and seize bank accounts of the protesting farmers to compensate the losses incurred following damage of government properties.

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