Mobile internet connectivity has been suspended in seven districts as the BJP-led Haryana government takes measures to block the farmers’ march to Delhi on Tuesday. The Manohar Lal Khattar government has issued a notification, announcing the suspension of dongle services provided on mobile phones, with only voice calls being allowed.
The farmers are advocating for a law to ensure a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce and are demanding pension and insurance schemes. More than 200 organizations are participating in the protest.
Mobile internet services have been halted in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa districts until Tuesday night.
In a bid to prevent protesting farmers from neighboring Punjab from entering Haryana en route to Delhi, police have planned to seal the Haryana-Punjab borders. This move is expected to cause inconvenience to travelers between Chandigarh and Delhi. Alternative routes have been announced by the police for commuters.
Haryana Police have cautioned commuters to avoid main roads on Tuesday and have warned of potential traffic disruptions due to the protest. Cement barriers, barbed wires, and sandbags have been set up at the borders between Haryana and Delhi to prevent farmers from crossing into the national capital. Water cannons and drones have also been deployed.
Fifty companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed to support Haryana Police. Haryana police chief Shatrujeet Kapur has issued a stern warning, stating that strict action will be taken against anyone attempting to disrupt peace. The police have urged farmers to refrain from participating in the protest and have warned of consequences if public property is damaged. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has assured that the state government will ensure complete peace.
Meanwhile, the Centre has extended an invitation to the protesting farmers for talks scheduled for tomorrow. However, it is unlikely that the meeting will lead to the farmers calling off their protests, as their demands require thorough discussions and potentially legislative action.
The protest is being organized by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a non-political group, although several farmers’ organizations have distanced themselves from it. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal), which played a prominent role in the farmers’ protest in 2020-21 resulting in the withdrawal of three contentious laws by the Centre, has announced its decision not to participate in Tuesday’s protest. Instead, they plan to join a protest scheduled for Friday. Nevertheless, the BKU has cautioned that if any farmers participating in Tuesday’s protest are mistreated, all unions will take to the streets in protest.
