GHAZIABAD: The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the district administrations to get all the farmers protest site on the state's borders with Delhi vacated, officials said on Thursday.
The orders came two days after violence during the 'Kisan Gantantra parade' on the occasion of the Republic Day at several locations in the national capital.
The police have reached the main protest asking the farmers to vacate.
The farmers at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh Ghazipur border had been sitting on protest against the three farm laws since November 26 last year, demanding the repeal of the three farm laws and ensuring the minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.
Earlier in the day, there was heavy deployment of security personnel, comprising the Uttar Pradesh and Delhi Police, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Rapid Action Force at the Ghazipur protest site.
The farmers have blocked the Delhi-Meerut highway from one side since November 26 last year.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, who has been named in the FIR by the Delhi Police in connection with the Republic Day violence also made a presence at the Ghazipur border, after going underground for last two days.
A team of senior officials of the Ghaziabad police and administration also arrived at the Ghazipur border to apprehend him.
Rakesh Tikait was asked to surrender but he refused. The farmers surrounded the venue after instructing more farmers to reach the venue.
There is a risk of conflict in the area of the strike.
Police action on farmer leaders was strengthened after the Republic Day violence. Lookout notices have been issued against 20 farmer leaders. Police have cracked down on 20 farmers' leaders, including Yogendra Yadav and Baldev Singh Sirsa, in connection with the Red Fort violence. A notice was issued to the farmer leaders asking them to explain within three days why they had violated their assurance to the police that there would be no violence. According to the police, the look-out notice was issued to prevent them from going abroad.
BKU leader Rakesh Tikait dares police, says arrest farmers but stop trying to scare them
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Thursday dared the police and local administration to come out clean with their intentions after water and electricity were cut at Ghazipur border.
Addressing the farmers from the main stage, Tikait, who has also been named in the Delhi Police FIR for his role in the violence on Republic Day, said if the police had been told to arrest the leaders, they should do that rather than resorting to scare tactics.
“There must be people from the intelligence and police here. I want to tell them that if your bosses have told you to take action against us, then please do arrest us,” Tikait said.
“Trying to scare us by cutting off water and electricity will not scare us away. Please come to us and explain what is the plan of action from the administration. If they want us to vacate, they must tell us that, or if they want us to be arrested, please take us,” the BKU leader said.
Tikait further said the administration played a part in trying to break the unity of unions by giving the fringe groups easy entry to the Red Fort.
“How can anyone explain the number of people at a heavily-fortified place like the Red Fort. Then to break farmers and the Sikhs, a religious flag was unfurled there. The police have played a role in this controversy,” he said.