Police use tear gas, water cannons, trucks to prevent farmers from entering Delhi

Thousands of farmers who reached Panipat town of Haryana on Ambala-Delhi highway on Friday marched towards the capital, pushing through heavy trola trucks and multi-layer barricades deployed by the authorities to thwart their movement. Follow LIVE Updates

The Delhi Police used tear gas shells to disperse a group of farmers who had reached the Singhu border, while at the Tigri border security personnel used water cannons to disperse farmers. Plumes of smoke were seen as security personnel used multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse the protesting farmers at the Singhu border.

Protesting farmers at the Punjab-Haryana border, in Shambhu, Patiala (Express photo by Harmeet Sodhi)

On the other hand, another group of farmers are just a few kilometres away from the national capital on the Delhi-Rohtak highway. The farmers continued their movement during night, breaking police barricades and crossed Sampla town. “Our stir will continue till the three farm laws, which are anti-farmer, are withdrawn,” said Mandeep Nathwan, convener of Haryana Kisan Sanghrash Samiti.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala reached Panipat on Friday morning to meet the agitating farmers and hit out at the government for using water cannons on them. “Are these farmers criminals or terrorists? If the government with the help of black laws will snatch livelihood of farmers, the Congress will stand by farmers,” he said.

Police personnel use water canons on farmers to stop them from crossing the Punjab-Haryana border (PTI)

Meanwhile, an independent MLA from Meham (Rohtak) Balraj Kundu has announced that he would arrange food for the farmers at his farm house.