After braving water cannons and tear gas, unfazed farmers allowed to enter Delhi, protest at Burari

After hours of confrontation and talks with the farmers the Delhi Police finally on Friday afternoon allowed the farmers to enter Delhi. They will be escorted to Nirankari ground in Burari for carrying on their protests against the Centre's Farm Laws.

"After discussion with farmer leaders, the protesting farmers have been permitted inside Delhi to hold peaceful protest at Nirankari ground in Burari. Delhi Police appeals to them to maintain peace," said Eish Singhal PRO Delhi police..

Earlier on Friday, Delhi’s Singhu border with Haryana remained tense since morningas intermittent clashes between the Delhi Police and farmers on their way to Delhi for a protest against the newly-enacted farm laws were reported.

Though the police fired eight rounds of tear gas shells at farmers to disperse them, they remained unfazed and kept moving ahead.

Saying that farmers will launch a ‘final strike’ after 4 PM, a protester said that they are determined to get into Delhi. Farmers were seen cooking lunch on the road and organizing langars.

“Their strategy is to get into Delhi and start an indefinite sit-in to press for a rollback of the newly farm acts. However, if they are not allowed to enter the city, they will start a dharna on the road till the government agrees,” said a former journalist-cum-farm activist.

“We will place heavy trucks, trolleys and big vehicles to stop the police from reaching us,” said the activist, adding that a section of the farmers is of the view that they should be ready for a ‘do or die’ situation.

As part of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ movement, the farmers, representing over 30 farm bodies, had announced they will go to Delhi through several routes -- Lalru, Shambhu, Patiala-Pehowa, Patran-Khanauri, Moonak-Tohana, Ratia-Fatehabad and Talwandi-Sirsa.

Farmers have been demanding that the Modi government repeal the farm laws since they were enacted.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police have claimed that they are trying to stop the farmers without resorting to ‘much force’. “We have also used water cannons and tried to hold them back without resorting to much force,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police, West Delhi, Sudesh Ranga who was present at the Tikri Border.