Indian police use tear gas shells to disperse farmers on way to Delhi

Indian police today used tear gas on a group of young farmers who, demanding a law to ensure minimum support price for crops, were heading towards the multi-layered road barricades put up at the border points at Punjab and Haryana, report agencies. 

After the tear gas canisters were lobbed by Haryana police personnel around 11:00am, the farmers ran for cover, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The farmers protesting at the two border points, some riding excavators, prepared to resume their "Delhi Chalo" street march two days after they rejected the Indian government‍‍`s proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP by government agencies for five years.

Thousands of farmers, who began the march to Delhi on February 13, were stopped at the Haryana border where they clashed with security personnel. The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab‍‍`s border with Haryana since then.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the "Delhi Chalo" march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP for crops and a farm loan waiver.

The Haryana police asked the owners of excavators to withdraw their machines from the farmers‍‍` protest site and warned of action for non-compliance.

According to police, these excavators might cause harm to security personnel deployed at the two border points if protesting farmers used them.

The Delhi police also enhanced security in the national capital today particularly at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders after protesting farmers announced to continue their "Delhi Chalo" agitation.

Traffic was hit on Delhi-Gurugram, Delhi-Bahadurgarh and several other roads after heavy deployment was made to ensure law and order.

In the fourth round of talks with the farmer leaders on Sunday, a committee of three senior Indian federal ministers had proposed that government agencies would buy pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP for five years after entering into an agreement with farmers. Farmer leaders rejected the offer.

The two border points of Delhi and Haryana -- Tikri and Singhu -- were sealed with the heavy deployment of police personnel and paramilitary forces and multi-layered barricades of concrete and iron nails. Two lanes of the Ghazipur border have also been shut with multi-layer barricades and police personnel