Kejriwal supports farmers protest march, says preventing them from entering Delhi 'wrong'

Sounding off strong support to the demands of the farmers, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday said that Delhi belongs to all and preventing protesting farmers from entering the national capital was "wrong". The farmers demands ranges from farm loan waiver to cut in fuel prices. Their march towards Delhi as a part of the Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) protest call, was stopped at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border Tuesday with police using water cannons to disperse them.

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"Why are the farmers being stopped from entering Delhi. It is wrong. Delhi belongs to all. They should be given entry in Delhi. We support their demands," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event held at the Delhi assembly to mark Gandhi Jayanti.

The situation turned violent as the farmers, riding tractors and trolleys, broke barricades of the UP Police and then started proceeding towards the barricades put up by the Delhi Police, a senior police officer said.

The city police had on Monday imposed prohibitory orders in east and northeast Delhi, anticipating law and order problems in view of the protest. In east Delhi, the prohibitory orders issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Pankaj Singh under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, will be in force until October 8.

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The prohibitory orders cover Preet Vihar, Jagatpuri, Shakarpur, Madhu Vihar, Ghazipur, Mayur Vihar, Mandawli, Pandav Nagar, Kalyanpuri and New Ashok Nagar police station limits.