Barricade clearance at protest sites vindicates their stand: protesting Farmers
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Ludhiana: Farmer's protests never blocked traffic, and Delhi police's move to remove barricades from the protest sites justify farmers stand, the protesting farmers' union leaders said on Friday, The Indian Express reported.
While reacting to the Delhi police's move to clear barricades from Tikri and Ghazipur borders, they added that they are observing BJP's latest manoeuvres with caution. The government's move to remove the blockades partially might be to impress the Supreme Court, they said.
The police's move to clear barricades came after the farmers' unions argued at Supreme Court that it wasn't them but police who were responsible for the traffic blockade. BKU (Bharatiya Kisan Union) President Gurna Singh Charuni said that the protesters had allowed traffic in the past, and the same will be done here on.
It was the police who built the barricades on roads and fortified protesting sites, seeing protesters as enemies. The barriers included cement boulders, multiple layers of metal shields and sand trucks, as well as layers of nails on the road, he said. Sukhdarshan Natt of Punjab Kisan Union said the blockades were removed with tippers, cranes etc. However, iron railings are still there but could be removed manually anytime.
Some protesters said they are also happy because clearing blockades will reopen the commercial establishments like petrol pumps and shops that are shut for 11 months due to the road closure, reviving the economy.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha might discuss whether to entirely clear both the carriageways at the protest sites in its November 2 meeting. Farmers were about to move to Delhi with their protest when the roads were blocked. Now roads are clear; they will decide whether to go towards Jantar Mantar or stay here, they added.
Leaders hope the union government to invite them for more talks to break the logjam over the controversial farm laws. But if it lets the farmers continue with their protest, they are determined to prolong it as it has been 11 months since the protests started, BKU leader Saurabh Upadhyay.
On October 21, the Supreme Court had said that farmers have every right to protest, and it was not against this even when the farm-laws issue is under subjudice, but they cannot block roads. The court's observation had come while a blame game ran between government and farmer unions.