Restrictions imposed ahead of farmers' march to Delhi

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has imposed restrictions at all borders between the national capital and Uttar Pradesh until March 11 to avoid any untoward incidents ahead of the farmers' call for a march on February 13.

During this period, the gathering of the general public at all borders between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas in the jurisdictional area of the North East District will be prohibited starting Sunday, the Delhi police said in an official statement.

It further prohibited the entering of tractors, trolleys, buses, trucks, commercial vehicles, personal vehicles, horses, etc., carrying protestors in Delhi from Uttar Pradesh.

In an official statement, the police ordered North East District Police to make all efforts to prevent protestors from entering Delhi.

"No person/protestor shall be allowed to bear arms, including firearms, swords, trishul, spears, lathi, rods, etc. North East District Police shall make all efforts to detain these persons at the spot," the statement said.

If any person found to be acting in contravention to this order shall be liable to be punished under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, it added.

"Information has been received that some farmer organisations have given a call to their supporters to gather/march to Delhi on 13th February for their demands of the law on MSP and others. They are likely to sit at the border of Delhi till their demands are met. To avoid any untoward incident and to maintain Law & Order, a precautionary Order of section 144 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, is required to be issued to save the lives and property in the area,” the Police said.

Meanwhile, the Haryana government has also ordered the suspension of mobile internet, SMS, and other dongle services until February 13 in seven districts ahead of the farmers' march to Delhi.

According to the order issued by Haryana's additional chief secretary (home department), the mobile internet services will remain suspended in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa districts from 6 am on February 11 to 11:59 pm on February 13.