The Haryana government has converted two prominent stadiums into makeshift jails as a precautionary measure ahead of the anticipated march by thousands of farmers to Delhi on Tuesday.
Chaudhary Dalbir Singh Indoor Stadium in Sirsa and Guru Gobind Singh Stadium in Dabwali will function as temporary holding facilities for detained farmers if their planned march proceeds, according to sources.
In the event of any untoward situation, detained or arrested farmers in significant numbers will be accommodated in these temporary jails, as per sources. Simultaneously, authorities in Delhi have fortified borders with concrete blocks, road spikes, and barbed wires, and deployed numerous police personnel along the interstate border in anticipation of the farmers' march.
While the Centre has invited farmer unions for discussions on February 12, the move to restrict entry into the national capital drew criticism from opposition parties and farmer groups. The restrictions were defended by authorities in both Haryana and Delhi, citing the 2020 protests against the now-repealed three farm laws.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, along with several farmer associations, primarily from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, has called for the protest to press the Centre to meet their demands, including the enactment of a law ensuring a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Leaders from opposition parties, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, criticised the heightened security measures at the state borders. Priyanka Gandhi shared a video of road spike barriers, questioning the appropriateness of such obstacles for farmers. Mann likened the roads entering Delhi and Haryana to the India-Pakistan Line of Control (LoC), urging the Centre to engage in talks with farmers.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) condemned the roadblocks and questioned the government's fear, emphasising the need for dialogue. The situation and any potential fallout will be the responsibility of the Khattar government, warned SKM leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal in a video message.
Haryana has sealed its border with Punjab at Shambhu near Ambala and implemented extensive arrangements in the Jind and Fatehabad districts to thwart the march. Mobile internet services and bulk SMS have been suspended in seven districts—Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa—from February 11 to 13.
Recalling the 2020 scenario, when farmers breached police barriers to march towards Delhi, the Haryana government is taking preventive measures to avert a similar situation this time. In 2020, farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh staged a year-long sit-in on Delhi's border points—Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur—protesting against the three central farm laws.