In addition to the temporary suspension of internet services till February 2 at Delhi borders, the government has also plastered big nails on the roads near Tikri to stop farmers and tractors from entering the national capital.
The photos and visuals of workers plastering the nails were uploaded by few netizens on Twitter. Many Twitterati also slammed the government for the same.
"This is what happened last night at Tikri border, how the government is treating the farmers and to what extents they can go to murder democracy, sharp iron nails on the roads, what are farmers to them? (sic)", wrote one user.
"This is what they did at Tikri last night. #Tikri #FarmersProtest Even in Kashmir, these nail studded wooden planks are not fixed in concrete and used only around camps of security forces, a practice that started after fidayeen attacks of the late 1990s (sic)," wrote another one.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the suspension of internet services at the farmer protest sites in Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders till Tuesday night, officials said.
Apart from the three border points, where farmers have been protesting since November against the Centre's three new farm laws, internet services will remain suspended in their adjoining areas too. The suspension is effective from 11 pm of January 31 to 11 pm on February 2.
The decision has been taken to 'maintain public safety and averting public emergency' under Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017, a Home ministry official said.
The suspension of internet services at the three border points and their adjoining areas was imposed at 11 pm on January 29 and was initially effective till 11 pm on January 31.
Internet services were also temporary suspended in some parts of Delhi on January 26, when large scale violence was reported during the farmers' tractor rally.
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since 26 November against the three newly enacted farm laws: the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Enacted in September, the three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed the apprehension that the new laws will pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the MSP and do away with the "mandi" (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
(With inputs from agencies)
