A group of farmers on Thursday attempted to enter Delhi to support the ongoing protest by wrestlers at Jantar Mantar demanding justice. However, police officials stopped them at the Singhu border and detained 24 farmers from different cities in Haryana. The farmers were traveling in tractors, and their vehicles have been kept at police stations, according to a senior police officer.
Meanwhile, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar took to Twitter to allege that he was arrested by the police at Singhu Border. He further claimed that the Delhi Police had assaulted elderly farmers. Kohar and others were reportedly taken to the Bawana Section 1 police station.
In the wake of the scuffle that broke out between the protesting wrestlers and some police personnel, leading to head injuries to a couple of protesters, the Delhi Police increased security deployment at Jantar Mantar. Multiple layers of barricades have been put up around the protest site, and no one is allowed in. The heads of the 15 police districts in the national capital have been instructed to be on alert in their jurisdictions, especially in the border areas.
The farmers were attempting to join the wrestlers who are protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for its alleged bias against them. The protesters have demanded a fair selection process and representation for all states in the national squad. The protest has found support from different sections of society, including farmers and politicians.
The farmers’ attempt to enter Delhi comes amid the ongoing farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws. The borders have not been sealed yet, but the police are keeping a strict vigil to avoid any untoward incident and prevent the protest from escalating further.
