The protesting farmers on Sunday afternoon suspended their foot march to Delhi for the day after some of them suffered injuries in tear gas shelling by Haryana security personnel along the State's border with Punjab. Farmers will decide on the next course of action on Monday.

After a group of 101 farmers from Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyuka Kisan Morcha (SKM) groups started the foot march to press for their demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price on Sunday, they were halted by the multilayered barricading erected by the Haryana Police. A heated argument took place between protesting farmer ‘jatha’ and security personnel. Haryana Police asked the farmers to show them the requisite permission to take out the foot march. Meanwhile, farmers were seen wearing face masks and eyewear to protect themselves if a situation occurs and teargas shells are lobbed at them.

Following this, tear gas shells were lobbed and water cannons were aimed towards the farmers to disperse them, injuring five protestors.  In order to placate the protesting farmers, tea and biscuits were being offered to them at the Shambhu border over Ghaggar river.  

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher alleged that the AAP-led Punjab government is in alliance with the Centre and is working against them. Pandher questioned why the media was being stopped at the protesting site.

Talking to reporters at Shambhu, Pandher said that the foot march to Delhi has been suspended for the day and asked the protesting farmers to return. At least eight farmers were injured and one of them was rushed to the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh. “We have called back the 'jatha' (group of 101 farmers),” he added.

Pandher said that farmers would decide their next course of action after a meeting of their forums -- the Samyuka Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

He said that police showering flowers and offering biscuits and tea was merely a gimmick. The farmer leader claimed that police used rubber bullets at the protesters. Paramilitary personnel and Haryana Police have intensified action against protesting farmers. Teargas shells have been lobbed at the farmers on four occasions, beside water cannons to disperse them. Five farmers, including Major Singh of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsha Committee, Dilabag Singh Gill and Karnail Singh, have been injured. Police used pepper spray and tear gas shells after a few farmers attempted to pull out the iron mesh fencing. Due to strong winds, the smoke from the tear gas shells is also causing problems for the security personnel.

Earlier, Haryana security personnel lobbed teargas shells to disperse protesting farmers as they neared multi-layered barricades at the Shambhu border. The teargas shells forced the farmers, some of whom had covered their faces and were wearing protective eyewear, to get back a few metres.

Talking to reporters, Haryana Police DSP Varinder Kumar said the action was taken after the protesting farmers started pulling the iron mesh which is the last line of defence. He claimed that a list of 101 farmers was shared by the farmer leaders but around 300 farmers reached near the fence. “We have been given a task to maintain law and order and we have just followed the order. The action was taken as some of the farmers took law in their hand,” he added.

It should be mentioned here that at Shambhu border, farmers had been camping since their first attempt to march to the capital was foiled in February, to press their various demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price.