Punjab farmers’ protest: HC directs Haryana to open Shambhu border within week
When told that 400-450 farmers are at Ambala-Patiala district border, court ordered removal of barricades, saying security agencies can manage law and order. The court directed Punjab to cooperate with Haryana and asked farmer outfits to ensure no untoward incident takes place.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday directed the Haryana government to remove barricades at the Shambhu border with Punjab within a week, where a group of farmers have been camping since February 13 when their Delhi Chalo march was halted.
The order was passed by high court bench of justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Vikas Bahl after it resumed hearing on a bunch of petitions on farmer-related issues and against the blockade.
While ordering the opening of the barricades, the court observed: “The closure is causing great inconvenience to the general public.”
Before ordering the removal of barricades, the bench enquired about the number of farmers who are still camping at the border of the Ambala and Patiala districts. When it was informed that nearly 400-450 farmers are present, the court ordered the removal of barricades, saying that security agencies can manage the law and order situation.
It directed the Punjab government to cooperate with its Haryana counterpart.
Farmer organisations were asked to ensure that no untoward incident takes place once the barricades are opened.
“The court has directed Haryana government to open barricades within a week. Both Punjab and Haryana governments have been asked to ensure that no law and order situation arises and act according to the law, if any such situation arises. As of farmers, they have been told that they can protest with the permission of the authorities and at designated sites approved by different administrations,” Deepak Sabherwal, the additional advocate general of Haryana, said after the hearing.
No order on Khanauri border
The farmers are also camping at Khanauri border near Jind on the Punjab border. However, no order has been passed with regard to Khanauri.
The farmers were stopped at these two places on February 13 and since then they have been camping there.
Violence broke out on February 21 at both the protest sites as farmers unsuccessfully tried to break the barricades and march towards Delhi in support of their demands, including legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP).
Scores of security personnel and protesters suffered injuries at Khanauri border. Shubh Karan Singh, a 21-year-old farm protester, died during the protest. The incident is being probed by a panel headed by a retired high court judge.
Besides seeking a law for MSP for all crops, the farmers have been demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations.
The protesters have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri borders in response to the Delhi Chalo agitation spearheaded by the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Sidhupur).
On the last date of hearing on May 28, the court had asked the governments of Punjab and Haryana on how long the highway blockades at Shambhu and Khanauri would continue as they were causing inconvenience to commuters.