On Friday morning, Delhi Police started removing barricades from the Ghazipur border where farmers have been protesting against the Centre’s three new agri laws. Similar scenes were also seen at the Tikri border on Thursday night.
On Thursday morning, big cranes were deployed on the Tikri border area to remove barricades. It is likely that the Tikri border, which falls on the Delhi-Bahadurgarh route, will soon be opened for commuters.
#WATCH | Removal of Police barricading at Tikri (Delhi-Haryana) border underway. The barricading is also being removed from Ghazipur (Delhi-Uttar Pradesh) border.
Farmers' agitations against the three farm laws have been going on at these borders. pic.twitter.com/GrC3G7Vnze
— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2021
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had told the farmers’ unions that roads cannot be blocked like this.
“The law is clear. You have a right to agitate but the roads cannot be blocked. Why the blockage has taken place and how it has taken place have to be resolved,” the court had said, asking the farmers’ unions to respond by December 7.
Last month, the Supreme Court had also rapped the Centre and state governments in Delhi and Haryana over the continued road blockades and congestion caused by farmers’ protests.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been staging a protest on the borders of Delhi for 11 months against the three contentious farm laws of the Centre.
DCP (East district) Priyanka Kashyap told The Indian Express that they were removing the barricades from Ghazipur and traffic movement would start in the coming days.
“They got orders from the seniors and the barricades are being removed. The road is being opened for traffic again. They must have spoken with the farmers and are removing it after assessing the situation,” a senior police official said.
Multiple layers of iron and cement barricades, and at least five layers of concertina wires were put up by the Delhi police in the wake of the January 26 violence during the farmers’ protest. Police officials and labourers were also seen removing iron nails that were studded on the NH9 at Ghazipur.
“We are removing barricades from the Tikri border as well,” DCP (outer district) Parvinder Singh said. JCB machines were seen removing the barricades.
The move comes following the Supreme Court’s October 21 observation that protesters cannot block public roads indefinitely. “Ultimately some solution has to be found. We are not against the right to protest even when a legal challenge is pending. (But) roads cannot be blocked like this,” Justice S K Kaul, heading a two-judge bench also comprising Justice M M Sundresh, had said. The bench was hearing a plea by Noida resident Monicca Agarwaal who highlighted problems faced by commuters on account of the ongoing protests against the farm laws, and sought the protesters’ removal from the Delhi border.
