Protesters, police clash on Delhi-Jaipur highway

Tribune News Service

Rewari, January 3

A clash erupted between farmers camping on the Delhi-Jaipur highway near Bhudla-Sangwari village and the police on Sunday when they reached Masani Barrage near Dharuhera.

The police lobbed tear gas shells to stop the farmers. A tractor also caught fire during the clash. The protesters were adamant on going ahead while the police had blocked the service lane by placing canters. The farmers were trying to remove the blockade till the filing of this report.

Sources said many farmers from the Tikri border today joined the camp of farmers at Bhudla-Sangwari village and decided to go ahead. In the evening, they removed the police barricades near their camp and moved ahead. Initially, the police resisted them but later allowed them to go. They were later stopped at Masani Barrage by using tear gas shells, sources said.

Happy Singh, a farmer from Rajasthan, said the tractor-trailer caught fire due to tear gas shells. Some blankets and quilts also got burnt in the fire.

“We wanted to go to Delhi peacefully but the police lobbed tear gas shells and used force on us,” said a protesting farmer.

The sudden clash resulted in the blockade on the highway. Long queues of vehicles were witnessed causing great inconvenience to commuters who had to use alternative routes to reach their destinations.

Meanwhile, ‘Chetna Yatra’, being taken out by the farmers belonging to Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) reached the Shahjahanpur-Khera border in Rajasthan today evening. They spent Saturday night at Gangaicha Jat Toll Plaza near Rewari city in the open. Locals provided them food and tea. The yatra would return to Tikri on Monday.

Kavita Arya, a farmer leader, said they accorded warm welcome to the ‘Chetna Yatra’ at the Shahjahanpur border and made special arrangements for food and stay.

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