The Delhi Police began removing barricades from the Ghazipur border today where farmers have been protesting against the three farm laws proposed by the Centre. Similar scenes were witnessed at the Tikri border on Thursday night.
Priyanka Kashyap, DCP (East district), told the Indian Express that the traffic movement will begin soon after the barricades are removed from Ghazipur. Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh camping at Delhi’s borders are demanding a complete repeal of the new laws, arguing that the MSP system will be weakened by the new regulations.
A number of layers of barricades were set up by the Delhi Police after the violence during the farmers’ protest on January 26. There were also at least five layers of concertina wires. Iron nails that were strewn on the NH9 at Ghazipur were also removed by police and labourers. An official with the police department said that farmers must have spoken to the authorities and were therefore cooperating after assessing the situation, even after the removal of the fences.
“We are removing barricades from the Tikri border as well,” DCP (outer district) Parvinder Singh said. The barricades were removed with JCB machines.
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The steps have been taken following the Supreme Court’s October 21 ruling that protesters could not block public roads indefinitely. “Ultimately some solution has to be found. We are not against the right to protest even when a legal challenge is pending. (But) roads cannot be blocked like this,” Justice S.K. Kaul, heading a two-judge Bench also comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh, had said.
The Bench was hearing a petition filed by Noida resident Monika Agarwaal, who had highlighted the problems faced by commuters because of the ongoing protests against the farm laws, and had asked that the protesters be removed from the Delhi borders.
