Choking ’em up: Shambhu is now Singhu

AMBALA/PATIALA: On day two of farmers’ protest at the Shambhu border of Ambala and Patiala districts on Wednesday, Haryana Police continued its action, firing teargas shells (with drones too) and using water cannons to stop protesters from marching to Delhi.
The day started peacefully but by afternoon, the number of farmers swelled and attempts were made to cross the heavily protected Ghaggar bridge and break barriers, leading to the police action.
Ambala DC Shaleen, Ambala range IGP Sibas Kabiraj and SSP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa supervised the operation. The DC said when the protesters tried to move forward by using a Patiala Police barricade as a shield, a contingent of Haryana Police commandos and paramilitary forces chased them away and removed the barricades. Later, farmers tried to enter through tractors and kept wet sacks on them to negate the effect of tear gas. DC said, “In view of the aggressive nature of the protesters, only teargas and rubber bullets have been used, and that too only to maintain law and order. A video was made viral through social media and other mediums to instigate farmers, in which it is being said bullets have been fired by police. This is baseless. Till now, no weapons have been used to fire (actual) bullets.”
Earlier, farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Kaka Singh Kotla, BKU Sidhupur, Sarvan Singh Pander, Surjit Singh Phool and Manjit Singh Rai addressed the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border. Dallewal said, “We are here to press for our demands and not to battle the Haryana Police. We will not bow but fight. We have got an invitation for another round of talks.” He said farmers have been asked to keep sitting on dharna at the Shambhu border and hold the morcha site till the outcome of the talks were known on Thursday evening.
Angry young farmers declared they would wait till Thursday evening for the central government to agree to their demands. “If they fail to do so, we will break the barricades and march towards Delhi,” they said.