Protesting farmers will resume their march to Delhi today from two points on the Punjab-Haryana border after the failure of four rounds of talks with the Centre over a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Ahead of their protest, Delhi traffic police issued an advisory for commuters asking them to avoid several roads in the central parts of the national capital due to special traffic arrangements.
“On 21-02-24, due to special traffic arrangements kindly avoid IP Marg in both the carriageways from IP Flyover towards A-point and vice-versa, ITO Chowk, DDU Marg, BSZ marg, JLN Marg , Shanti Van crossing and Rajghat crossing from 0930 hrs to 1130 hrs,” the advisory said.
Traffic Alert
On 21-02-24, due to special traffic arrangements kindly avoid IP Marg in both the carriageways from IP Flyover towards A-point and vice-versa, ITO Chowk, DDU Marg, BSZ marg, JLN Marg , Shanti Van crossing and Rajghat crossing from 0930 hrs to 1130 hrs.
— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) February 20, 2024
Officials said areas around the national capital’s three border points might witness traffic congestion today due to road closures.
Read| Farmers To March On Delhi Again, After Snubbing Centre’s Offer: 10 Points
Tikri and Singhu — two points on the Delhi-Haryana border — are sealed with heavy deployment of police personnel and multiple layers of concrete barricades and iron nails.
If required, the Ghazipur border might also be shut on Wednesday, an official said.
Thousands of farmers, who began the march to Delhi on February 13, were stopped at the Haryana border itself, where they clashed with security personnel. The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab’s border with Haryana since then.
Read| ‘Makeshift Tanks’, Iron Sheets: Farmers’ Plan To Cross Haryana Border
The last round of talks between farmers and the government ended past midnight on Sunday when a panel of ministers proposed buying five crops — moong dal, urad dal, tur dal, maize and cotton — from farmers at minimum support price (MSP) for five years through central agencies.
The protest leaders have formally rejected the offer with Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal saying on Tuesday that it was not in the farmers’ interest.