Farmers Gathered at Singhu, Tikri Border Refuse to Head to North Delhi Protest Site

New Delhi: Thousands of farmers gathered at the Singhu border held a meeting on Saturday morning amid heavy security presence and decided to continue demonstrating there even after being offered a site in North Delhi to hold their protest.

Those gathered at the Tikri border continued to hold ground as well. A decision on whether they would head to the designated protest site is expected soon.

After the meeting at the Singhu border, one of the main routes used to access the city from Punjab, a farmer leader said they would not move and continue their protest there.

"We will not move from here (Singhu Border) and continue our fight. We will not return home. Thousands of farmers have come from Punjab and Haryana to join the protest," he said.

On Friday, hundreds of farmers entered the national capital to hold a peaceful protest at the Sant Nirankari Ground after facing teargas and water cannons and clashing with security personnel while thousands remained at border points, undecided whether to go to the demonstration site identified by police.

The day witnessed police using teargas shells, water cannons and multi-layer barriers to block the protesters and the farmers pelting stones and breaking barricades in some places in their determination to push through as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march against the Centre's new farm laws.

After a meeting between farmer leaders and senior police officers, the Delhi Police had allowed the protesters to hold demonstration peacefully at Nirankari Ground, but senior farmer leader Darshan Pal later said they would stay put at border points on Friday night and a decision on whether to go to the identified protest site or not will be taken on Saturday.

Punjab Farmers Head to Delhi After Night Halt

Punjab farmers resumed their 'Delhi Chalo' march against the Centre's new farm laws on Saturday morning after halting for the night to join thousands who have already reached the national capital's borders.

"We have again started heading towards Delhi in the morning after a night halt at Meham in Rohtak district of Haryana," Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) leader Shingara Singh said on Saturday.

Another group of farmers made a night halt at Julana in Haryana's Jind district, he said, adding, "They have also resumed their journey towards Delhi."

Farmers with the outfit had on Friday broken through police barricades at Khanauri and Dabwali border points between Punjab and Haryana.

More farmers under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) will enter Haryana on Saturday for their march towards the national capital.

"Our group of farmers on tractor-trolleys will soon enter Haryana through the Shambhu interstate border," said KMSC general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher. They had begun their march from Amritsar on Friday.

Pandher lashed out at the Centre for bringing the "black laws" against the farming community.

Punjab farmers in large numbers had on Friday crossed the state's border with Haryana. Some even faced water cannons and teargas.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has welcomed the Union government's decision allowing farmers to enter the national capital and hold peaceful agitation.

Farmers protesting against the Centre's three farm laws have expressed apprehension that the laws would pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporates.

The Centre has invited several Punjab farmer organisations for another round of talks in Delhi on December 3.