The Baghpat administration removed the farmers protesting on Baghpat-Saharanpur highway in Baraut town of the district on Wednesday night. The farmers were protesting against farm laws at the site for many days.
The videos of the eviction purportedly show policemen holding batons asking aged farmers to move out of the tents at night. Protesters could be seen rushing out with their quilts and other belongings.
Amit Kumar Singh, Additional District Magistrate, Baghpat, said the protesters were removed after the administration got a letter from the National Highway Authority of India wherein it said the construction work was hampered because of the agitation. He said farmers were peacefully removed and no force was used.
Alok Singh, Circle Officer, Baraut, said the farmers were protesting on a highway where construction work had to be done. “The work of NHAI is pending, their project cost is escalating,” he said. On whether they had been given any alternative site in the town to protest, Mr. Singh said “there is no other protest site.”
He said the farmers were removed in the evening. On the hurry to remove elderly farmers after daylight, Mr. Singh said it was not because of law and order problem. “Nobody was troubled. There was pleasant weather yesterday. Anyway, there is no difference between day and night in towns. Everything is peaceful,” he maintained.
