Protesting farmers broke past police barricades at multiple points on Delhi’s border on Tuesday morning, heading towards the capital hours ahead of the agreed time for their Republic Day tractor rally.

Groups of farmers who broke off the agreed route and headed towards the Outer Ring Road were met with tear gas and water cannons from the Delhi police. Those who deviated from the pre-determined routes were in tense stand-offs with police at the Karnal bypass, Nangloi and Akshardham. One group has reached the ITO flyover, moving towards the centre of the capital.

On Sunday, the Delhi police gave permission for three tractor rally routes, staying near the border areas, to start from noon, after the official Republic Day parade at Rajpath was completed. Leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is the joint front of all unions protesting against the three agricultural reform laws, had agreed to these conditions.

The first to breach the barricades at the Singhu border was a group led by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, a Punjab union which had already vowed to defy police rules and head towards Outer Ring Road at 8 a.m. Protesters also broke through barricades at the Tikri border around 9 a.m. The group from Tikri was initially met with garlands from Delhi residents at Nangloi.

By 10.30 a.m., SKM protesters had started moving at all three major protest sites, from Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur.

The initial group which broke off the agreed route to head towards Outer Ring Road was halted by police near the Karnal bypass by 11 a.m. Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee press secretary Vicky told The Hindu that police were using water cannons to stop the convoy. Teargas was also used at Muqarba Chowk at the Karnal bypass, which saw scenes of chaos, with several vehicles being damaged.

The situation is also tense at the Ghazipur border, where the Delhi police fired tear gas after farmers tried to enter the Ring Road in East Delhi near Akshardham. A large group of farmers have reached the ITO flyover on Ring Road, and are heading towards central Delhi.

Bharatiya Kisan Union vice-president Rajveer Singh had earlier said the Delhi police had removed barricades and around 5,000 tractors were moving towards Akshardham.

 

Tension prevailed at Nangloi as farmers insisted on proceeding towards Peeragarhi on tractors in violation of the sanctioned route. A small group of farmers, first on foot and then a group on tractors managed to break past barricades, heading towards Peeragarhi Chowk.

Farmers are moving on tractors, cars, motorbikes and on foot. Despite instructions from SKM volunteers, many farmers are travelling on the roofs and bonnets of tractors.

‘Efforts on to restrain protesters’

Earlier, SKM leader Baldev Singh said that efforts were being made to convince the farmers to show restraint and adhere to the police instructions. All-India Kisan Sabha finance secretary P. Krishna Prasad condemned the farmers’ action saying that they must adhere to the plan agreed upon with the Delhi police.

 

Even as they moved out of Singhu, SKM leaders on the Singhu protest stage continued to urge protesters to wait for the police to remove barricades, and to follow the pilot vehicles of the leaders. “Don’t give anyone a chance to find fault with us,” said a leader on the loudspeakers.

Farm unions have been protesting on Delhi’s borders for two months now, demanding that the new agricultural reform laws be repealed, and that a new one be enacted to guarantee remunerative prices for farm produce.