Hry and Punjab border remains battleground; farmers, cops clash

The Punjab-Haryana border remained a battleground on Wednesday as a fresh standoff began between farmers and Haryana Police, when thousands of protesters tried to breach multiple layers of barricades to march towards the national capital and security forces fired tear gas shells, including through drones, to contain the crowd.

- Karam Prakash, Bhavey Nagpal and Sunil Rahar

Several farmers from Punjab were injured in the face-off with Haryana Police stationed at Shambhu border near Ambala and Khanauri border in Jind-two points that saw similar scenes a day earlier. While the protesters claimed that at least 65 of them sustained injuries, there was no immediate confirmation from the police on the same.

Besides tear gas shells, the protesters faced water cannons, rubber bullets and lathicharge when they attempted to break the barricades, as Haryana Police and the Rapid Action Force deployed at the two junctions resorted to force to halt long caravans of tractors, SUVS and trucks and prevent them from proceeding.

Haryana home minister Anil Vij reiterated his government's efforts to ensure peace in the state and slammed the Punjab government for not acting against the protesting farmers.

"If someone attacks our police, why can't we go after them and catch them?" he told reporters in Ambala.

"When these groups (farmers) marched from Amritsar, the Punjab government did not make any effort to stop them anywhere on the way. This means they want to create chaos in Delhi. Do they want to go to Delhi and dance again at the Red Fort?" he said, referring to the farmers' bid to hold similar protests at the Red Fort in 2021.