Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Rewari, December 31

A group of protesting farmers camping at the Delhi-Jaipur highway for the past 18 days today removed the two-layer barricading at Shahjahanpur (Rajasthan)-Khera (Rewari) border to move to the Capital. The police initially used tear gas shells to stop them but later allowed them to go.

Vendors from across country join stir

To express solidarity with the protesting farmers, vegetable and fruit vendors from across the country reached the Singhu dharna site on Thursday. Sheikh Salman of the National Hawker Federation said 600-700 vendors, including women, had come to the Singhu border.

Tension prevailed as the farmers were thereafter stopped by the Rewari police near Bhudla village, 12 km from the border. Hundreds of farmers however stayed back on the Rajasthan side of the Shahjahanpur-Rewari border. The police had to divert traffic on the highway to avoid a jam following the sudden movement of farmers. There were long queues of vehicles on the highway as well as alternative routes, causing inconvenience to the commuters.

Kerala resolution against farm laws

Expressing solidarity with the agitating farmers, the Kerala Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution demanding withdrawal of the contentious central laws. The lone BJP member, O Rajagopal, also backed the resolution, saying “it is the democratic spirit.”

“Around 2 pm, nearly 130 farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan in 20 tractor-trailers suddenly started removing boulders and barricades on the highway. The police lobbed teargas shells but the farmers did not stop and broke the barricades with their tractors,” Ashok Arya of the All India Kisan Sabha said.

Arya added that farmer leaders present at the Shahjahanpur-Rewari protest site had appealed to the group not to move ahead to the Capital without receiving directions from the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha. Rewari SP Abhishek Jorwal said the police would not allow the farmers to go ahead.