Chandigarh, Feb 14 2024-
The Punjab government on Wednesday objected to dropping tear gas shells via drones in its territory by Haryana Police to prevent protesting farmers to enter the state.
In a missive, Patiala Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmed raised an objection with his Ambala counterpart Shaleen to refrain from entering the state’s territory.
Ahmed asked the civil administration “to refrain from such acts and restrict them within their (Haryana) territory.”
Responding to the letter, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said: “I am surprised that the Punjab government has released a notice asking us not to send drones to our border. This means that they want the farmers to create terror in Delhi.”
He said that farmers want to go to Delhi and have a conversation with representatives of the government, but when they came to Chandigarh, the farmer leaders refused to talk to them.
Vij said when farmers started moving from Amritsar, the Punjab government did not even try to stop them. “This clearly means that they want the farmers to create terror in Delhi. Stone pelting is going on and one of our DSP and 25 other police officers have been injured.”
Huge security build-up continued on inter-state borders between Punjab and Haryana on the second day on Wednesday, as assembled protesting farmers are adamant on heading to the national capital to lodge their protest over unfulfilled demands, including legal guarantee of minimum support prices (MSP) of crops.
Police used tear gas on demonstrators in a bid to stop farmers’ protests from reaching the capital. Scores of policemen and farmers got injured in stone pelting that ensued between them.
The farmers — representing over 200 farmer unions — also want waiver of farm loans and criminal cases against those protesting farm laws dropped. (Agency)
