Punjab and Haryana High Court asks Union, state govts to resolve farmers' protest crisis

The Punjab and Haryana High Court asked the Centre to resolve the ongoing farmers' agitation immediately, and issued notices to Punjab, Haryana, and the Union government asking for status reports.

The high court was hearing two petitions around the farmers' protest around the borders of Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana.

It also suggested that even if a demonstration has to take place, the states should identify a designated area for the agitators, while noting that the protesters have the fundamental right to expression.

It further said that the state government is also duty-bound to protect its citizens and ensure no inconvenience is caused to them.

The fresh round of protests seek to press the Centre to accept farmers' demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Apart from sealing the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders of Delhi, police have put up multiple layers of barricades at various roads leading to the Parliament and the central part of Delhi.

The protesting farmers want the central government to accept their demands, including the enactment of a law guaranteeing minimum support price for crops, faced similar police action at the Shambhu border in Haryana's Ambala. The demonstrators claimed that a farmer was injured in the tear gas shell firing at the Data Singhwala-Khanauri border.

he Delhi Police on Monday enforced section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the entire city and completely secured the city's borders.

"We are fully prepared to deal with any kind of law and order situation. Multi-layered arrangements are there to stop farmers from entering Delhi," a senior police officer said, according to PTI news agency.

Surveillance technologies such as drones and CCTV cameras are being utilised to monitor the border areas.

Several farmers associations, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, had called for a protest on February 13 to demand a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price.

Also read | Vandalism, water cannons: Farmers-police standoff escalates at Shambhu border