Chhavi Bhatia

New Delhi—For the second time in less than four days, the Haryana Police lathicharged farmers and used tear gas as they tried to march towards Delhi from Shahjahanpur border on Sunday. Around 1000 farmers also broke two barricades put up by the state police near Dharuhera village in Rewari, in an attempt to enter the National Capital. The situation remained tense till the filing of the report as farmers resolved to cross into Delhi despite police crackdown. Shajahanpur border has mostly farmers from Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The Haryana Police has put three layers of barricades and container blocking Jaipur-Delhi highway to prevent farmers holding peaceful sit-in against the contentious farm laws at Shahjahanpur border, from entering Delhi. Videos that emerged on social media showed Haryana Police firing tear gas shells on farmers as they peacefully moved their tractors towards Delhi. They could be seen running from cover as cops continue to fire tear gas shells. According to sources present at the site, the cops fired at the farmers “unprovoked”. “Is this what we call democracy? We were going ahead peacefully. The cops were stationed at an elevated position and misused not only their position but also hit us without any provocation,” said Shamsher Singh, a farmer from Rajasthan.

This is not the first time Haryana Police has unleashed force on farmers. The state police had drawn severe criticism for its handling of peacefully marching farmers earlier too when it brutally attacked farmers near Ambala on November 25. The BJP-led government in Haryana had used brute force in form of lathicharge, water cannons and tear gas when thousands of farmers marched peacefully towards Delhi. Elderly farmers were also severely injured in the crackdown which invited widespread condemnation of the Manohar Lal Khattar government internationally too.