Despite Section 163 in Patiala dist, scores of farmers reach Shambhu
Hours before the Dilli Chalo march, hundreds of farmers today swarmed at the Shambhu border.
Sources said despite the orders passed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) by the Additional District Magistrate, Patiala, farmers were not stopped by the police even as the highway remained shut for the vehicular traffic and free movement of people.
Interestingly, the Ambala administration had passed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS a couple of days ago and the Haryana Police had asked farmers not to proceed further.
Patiala ADC Isha Singhal said, “No permission was sought from us to hold the protest. Orders under Section 163 of the BNSS are already in place.”
A senior police officer said, “The border is sealed but we had no orders from anyone to stop the farmers from marching towards Shambhu. Since the farmers are moving peacefully, we did not intervene nor tried to scuttle their protest inside the Punjab territory.”
“We have sufficient force to keep a hawk’s eye on the protesters. No one will be allowed to take law and order into their hands,” added the officer.
The farmers said they would enter into Haryana and proceed towards Delhi at any cost. “We have apprised the senior police officials in Punjab and Ambala that our march will remain peaceful. On Thursday, we conveyed to them that we will not create any law and order situation and we have stood by our words,” said the farmers.
Patiala SSP Nanak Singh said they had deployed ample force at the protest site to maintain law and order. “We ensured clear passage for the ambulances and I was personally monitoring the situation,” he said.
The protesting farmers continued to camp at the Shambhu border, delaying their plan to march towards Delhi after farm leaders said that they would march again on Sunday. None of the farm union members, however, left the dharna site and continued to camp around 300 metre away from the barricades.
