COURTESY HT NOV 27

Farmers force way into Haryana, head to Delhi

Members of various farmers’ organisations clash with the police while marching through Shambu border during the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest against the new farm laws, in Punjab’s Patiala on Thursday. BHARAT BHUSHAN .HT PHOTO

CAPT AMARINDER SINGH, Punjab chief minister

MANOHAR LAL KHATTAR, Haryana chief minister
HT Correspondents

letters@hindustantimes.com

Chandigarh/New Delhi : Thousands of farmers from Punjab broke barricades and forced their way into Haryana on Thursday, braving tear gas shells and water cannons en route to Delhi, where law enforcement officials deployed stringent crowd control measures as residents grappled with long traffic snarls in border areas.

By late evening, a large group of farmers — both from Haryana and Punjab — reached a toll plaza at Panipat, about 100km from the Capital, setting the stage for a confrontation with Delhi Police, who have refused to give them permission for protests within the city limits. Leaders of farmers’ groups said that they will resume their march — christened “Delhi Chalo” —on Friday morning.

The police in Ambala had erected barricades on an overbridge on the Ghaggar river connecting the Haryana town with Punjab’s Patiala. Farmers threw several of these barricades into the river, facing tear gas shells by law enforcement personnel. Protesters could be seen waving black flags and shouting slogans.

The police made announcements on loudspeakers, asking farmers on the Punjab side to disperse, but that did not help. As smoke from tear gas clouded the skies and farmers outnumbered security personnel, they were allowed to enter Haryana around noon.