Escalation At Punjab-Haryana Border: Police Fire Tear Gas At Protesting Farmers

The situation at the Punjab-Haryana border escalated as police resorted to firing tear gas to disperse protesting farmers on Friday. Distressing visuals from the Shambhu border depicted farmers running amidst clouds of tear gas shells being fired at them. Tragically, amidst the chaos, a 63-year-old farmer participating in the protests at the Shambhu border succumbed to a heart attack.

The farmers' protest, now in its fourth day, gained momentum as several unions announced a 'Bharat Bandh' from 6 am to 4 pm. Additionally, farmers planned to stage a massive 'chakka jam' across major Indian roads from 12 pm to 4 pm. Large gatherings were banned in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) with Section 144 imposed, causing disruptions in traffic at the Gazipur border.

Despite a five-hour marathon talk between leaders of protesting farmers' unions and three Union ministers on Thursday yielding no breakthrough, the farmers remained resolute in their main demands, including a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of their agricultural produce. Haryana Police's firing of tear gas shells at the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border further escalated tensions, exacerbating the already volatile situation.

Amid the ongoing standoff, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal accused paramilitary forces deployed at the Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana borders of provocation. The farmers, however, remained undeterred in their determination to press for their demands and continued to plan their march to Delhi. Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann expressed solidarity with the protesting farmers while criticizing the use of drones and barbed fences on the state's borders with Haryana.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and the BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner) announced a 'rail roko' (stop the trains) protest, while farmers staged demonstrations at numerous toll plazas in Punjab. These actions came in response to the use of tear gas shells and water cannons by Haryana Police against the protesting farmers. The situation remains tense as the farmers' agitation persists, impacting traffic and daily life in the region.