Haryana: Police Dig Trenches To Block Protesting Farmers From Marching Towards Delhi

In an attempt to block thousands of farmers marching towards Delhi in protest against Centre's new farm laws, Haryana used a common military tactic of digging trenches near the state border to stop the farmers.

Several images and visuals showed roadsides dug up and barbed wires installed along the border to stop farmers marching towards the national capital as part of their "Delhi Chalo" protest.

The cops also used sand-laden trucks and barricades to stop the movement of farmers.

"The idea is to delay the movement of farmers from Punjab so that they don't reach Karnal," an officer said.

On Thursday, hundreds of farmers remained undeterred against tear gas and water sprays. Many of them threw bricks at the police and forced them to retract. As the cops parked vehicles to block the bridge, the farmers physically pushed them.

Hundreds of farmers cleared the bridge and marched ahead after a two-hour clash with cops.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar lashed out at his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh, accusing him of inciting the protests and playing "cheap politics" during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government denied permission to the police to convert nine of the city's stadiums into temporary jails for the protesting farmers from Punjab and Haryana who enter Delhi. The Delhi police had sought the state government's permission for the same earlier in the day.

"Looking at the situation at borders we think we will require such kind of place to keep the detainees," a senior police official had said.

Also Read: Barbed Wires, Barricades, Delhi Fortified As Farmers' Protest Intensifies: All You Need To Know