'Why Singhu border still barricaded?' BJP MP asks in parliamentary panel meeting

A prominent BJP Lok Sabha MP from Haryana raised concerns during a high-level Parliament panel's meet over the fact that the Delhi-Haryana border at Singhu is still partially closed for traffic, more than three years after the farmers' agitation ended in late 2021.

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The concerned MP took up the matter with the representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, who deposed before the Rajya Sabha's Parliamentary Standing Committee of Home Affairs on Friday, which also witnessed a lot of queries from members of the Opposition, primarily by the Congress, which sought to know why the census work had been delayed and the reason behind cutting down its budgetary allocation by half.

No specific reply from MHA officials

Sources privy to the meeting said the Home Ministry officials did not give a specific reply to the question pertaining to the barricading of the Singhu border.

The issue continues to resonate with commuters who have to endure hours of traffic congestion to enter the national capital via Singhu due to the concrete barriers

A Congress Rajya Sabha MP wanted to know why almost the entire Nirbhaya fund had remained unutilised in 20024-25. The opposition members also raised questions from the Home Ministry officials why almost three-fourths of prison modernisation funds were unused and only a meagre sum was spent from the entire budget meant for development of Andaman and Nicobar as well as Lakshdweep.

Sources informed that the opposition members expressed their displeasure over "vague" responses to their questions by the officials, where Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan was also present.

The BJP Haryana lawmaker sought to know from the officials, why despite the passage of more than three years since the farmers' agitation ended in December 2021, the Singhu border, which is a key trading hub and a significant route connecting Delhi with Haryana, was closed, causing great inconvenience to commuters on a daily basis.

Sources aware of the development told this newspaper that though the Home Ministry officials did not give a specific reply, the issue continues to resonate what with commuters entering Delhi from Haryana, have to endure hours of traffic congestion as the entry into the national capital is partially blocked with concrete barriers, remnants of the farm laws agitation days.

The issue even reached the doorstep of the Delhi High Court in October 2024, which had refused to entertain a PIL demanding the immediate removal of the roadblocks at Singhu border.

The court had asked the petitioners to approach the Delhi Police with their grievance and noted that there might be "actionable intelligence" inputs with the cops because of which there may be reasons for continuing with the blockade.

The committee had convened the meeting with Home Ministry officials to consider and examine the Demands for Grants (2025-26) of the ministry pertaining to Delhi Police, Union Territories of Delhi, Puducherry, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu as well as of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.