The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday ordered all its district magistrates and senior superintendents of police to ensure that farmer protests at all sites in the state are ended, ANI reported, quoting officials.
The report came after the administration in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district issued an ultimatum to farmers, asking them to vacate the protest site at Ghazipur border by the end of the day, The Indian Express reported. The district magistrate ordered protestors to leave by late evening, and said that they would be forcefully evacuated otherwise, according to The Hindu. Heavy deployment of police had also been done in the area, who also conducted a flag march.
However, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait refused to leave the site, according to NDTV. “There has been no violence on the Ghazipur border,” he said. “Despite that, the government is adopting a repressive policy. It shows the face of the Uttar Pradesh government.”
Earlier during the day, authorities and people claiming to be locals demanded for calling off of the protests at other sites as well, in view of the violence in Tuesday’s tractor rally.
Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) Prashant Kumar told ANI that farmer organisations protesting at Chilla border, Dalit Prerna Sthal in Noida and Baghpat had ended their agitation on Wednesday night. He also said that talks were underway with some protestors who were still present at the UP Gate border in Ghaziabad. “We will talk to farmer organisations and ensure that protests are called off at the earliest,” Kumar said.
By evening, the Delhi Police had closed traffic movement on both sides of the Ghazipur border. The police also deployed an earthmover to dig a road at the Singhu border, which connects Delhi and Haryana.
Meanwhile, a group of people held a protest at the Singhu border on Thursday morning, asking farmers to vacate the area. In a video tweeted by ANI, they could be heard chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.
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