Farmers protesting at two border points between Punjab and Haryana will resume their "Delhi Chalo" march on Wednesday after they rejected the Centre's proposal for procuring pulses, maize, and cotton at the MSP for five years.
Thousands of farmers, who began their march to Delhi on February 13, were stopped at the Haryana border, where they clashed with security personnel. The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri points between Punjab and Haryana since then.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the "Delhi Chalo" march to press the BJP-led Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm loan waiver.
The last round of talks between the 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 the MSP for five years through central agencies.
The protesting farmer 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.
The farmer leaders held four rounds of talks with Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai on February 8, 12, 15 and 18. The talks have remained inconclusive.
At the Shambhu border point, the farmers have brought excavators in order to make their way through the multi-layered barricades set up by the Haryana security personnel. Some of the farmers are carrying masks to protect themselves from tear-gas shells.
Tight security arrangements are in place at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points.
The Haryana Police has urged its Punjab counterpart to seize bulldozers and other earthmoving equipment from the inter-state border, which they say the protesters will use to break the barricades.
These could pose a threat to the security forces deployed at the border, Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapoor has said in an urgent communication to his Punjab counterpart, Gaurav Yadav.
Later, in a communication to senior police officers, the Punjab DGP said no JCB machines and other heavy earthmoving equipment should be allowed to reach the Khanauri and Shambu border points as inputs indicate that the protesters plan to break the barricades and enter Haryana.
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