Chandigarh: As farmers march towards Delhi to press for their various demands, the Shambhu area on the Punjab-Haryana border has emerged as the centre of protest with police firing tear gas shells at the protesting farmers and detaining several protesters to disperse them, sources said. Farmers of around 200 unions affiliated with Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are marching towards the national capital to press for their various demands including MSP and dropping of charges against farmers during past protests
The march comes a day after the second round of talks between the Centre and the farm leaders failed to reach a consensus. Chaotic scenes were witnessed at the Shambhu border of Haryana and Punjab on Tuesday afternoon as Police resorted to tear gas shelling on the farmers to scuttle their march towards Delhi. Videos showed police firing tear gas shells at the farmers which caused chaos among the protesters.
Reports said that the police also pressed drones into service to drop the tear gas shells at the protesting farmers to disperse them. The cops were also seen detaining protesting farmers and bundling them into the anti-riot vehicles. Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said that around 10,000 farmers assembled at the Shambhu border.
“The farmers are maintaining a peaceful situation here and tear gas is being used against us through drones. The protest will continue until the government agrees to our demands," Pandher said. Amid the police tear gas shelling, a defiant tractor driver was seen putting on a gas mask at the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu border.
Protesting farmers were also seen forcibly removing the cement barricade as they tried to cross over the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu border.
