Section 144 imposed in Delhi, security beefed up at borders as farmers head to Jantar Mantar for ‘Mahapanchayat’

Security has been beefed up at Delhi borders, including Singhu and Ghazipur, ahead of the ‘Mahapanchayat’ called by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Apolitical) at Jantar Mantar today.

The police have put up cemented barricades at Tikri border, where farmers have started arriving from outside Delhi. Section 144 has been imposed across the national capital while heavy security arrangement has been deployed at Jantar Mantar.

Police said all vehicles entering the capital are being checked and police personnel are on the ‘alert mode’. Traffic movement may be affected in many parts of Delhi as the police have put up barricades at border points, they said.

In a tweet, the police asked motorists to avoid Tolstoy Marg, Sansad Marg, Janpath Road, Ashoka Road, Outer Circle Connaught Place, Baba Kharak Singh Marg and Pandit Pant Marg due to farmers’ mahapanchayat.

The farmers are demanding the arrest of Union MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son Ashish is a prime accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri case. Among several other demands, they have also demanded formulation of a law to ensure MSP as per the C2+50 per cent formula by the Swaminathan Committee.

Earlier, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) – an umbrella body of farmers – had announced the beginning of its 75-hour sit-in in Lakhimpur Kheri of Uttar Pradesh from Thursday to press their pending demands.

On Sunday, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait was detained by the Delhi Police at the Ghazipur border while he was trying to enter the national capital to take part in the protest at Jantar Mantar. He alleged the Delhi police was working at the behest of the Centre and did not allow him to meet the unemployed youth.