India / UP Police leaves Ghazipur border protest site after farmers asked to vacate

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government’s attempts to force the farmers who were protesting at the Ghazipur border to vacate the site did not bear fruit, with the ultimatum and union leader Rakesh Tikait’s appeal acting as a catalyst for more protesters to show up at the spot.

While there was no formal order, Ghazipur district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey issued a ‘verbal ultimatum’ asking the farmers to leave the site on Thursday. Section 144 (no assembly) was imposed and there was heavy police deployment at the protest site.

The Wire‘s Shekhar Tiwari visited the site late on Thursday night to speak to the farmers about the government’s diktat. Many farmers expressed a steely determination to continue their protest until the three farm laws are repealed. “Even if we are lathi-charged or fired upon, we will not leave the protest site,” a farmer said.

Some farmers also claimed that the violence during the January 26 tractor rally was instigated by those who wanted to damage the farmers’ cause. One farmer said, “The government realised that since we are protesting peacefully, they cannot force us to leave. So the violence has given them the opportunity to evict us.”

According to reports, with crowds swelling and the resolute farmers standing their ground, the additional police deployment at Ghazipur was removed in the early hours of Friday.

“Excess security force from the protest site has been withdrawn and only a minimal deployment of personnel remains there,” a Ghaziabad police officer told news agency PTI on the condition of anonymity.

The officer also revealed that some BKU protestors were served notices under section 133 (removal of public nuisance) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) on Thursday.

Earlier, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait had arrived at the spot to speak to the farmers. Tikait, who has been named in multiple FIRs relating to the violence on Republic Day, refused to surrender and issued a rallying cry for the protesting farmers, many of whom appeared ready to vacate the site.

As he left the stage and spoke to media, the BKU leader broke into tears and said he was ready to die rather than end the protest against the farm laws.