Concrete barriers were placed at Ghazipur, Delhi-Ghaziabad border by the Delhi Police on Monday morning as the farmer leaders said that they will block more highways connecting Delhi apart from Singhu and Tikri borders.

The farmers have been camping at Singhu and Tikri borders since Friday.

A group of farmers tried to push the police barricades from Ghazipur border on Sunday evening leading to a mêlée but were pacified by their leaders.

Cement jersey barriers have been placed at Ghazipur border to stop farmers from barging in with vehicles, informed a senior police officer on the condition of anonymity adding, “Since farmers have called for blocking Delhi-Ghaziabad, Delhi-Gurugram and Delhi-Faridabad borders also, adequate measures are being taken.”

Security forces continued to mount a strict vigil at the Ghazipur entry point on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border as scores of farmers from western Uttar Pradesh rallied on Monday at the spot.

Around 250 farmers hailing from Meerut, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad etc are camping at the Ghazipur border at present in support of thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana.

More than 150 personnel of Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force and the Border Security Force are currently deployed on the Ghazipur border. Security arrangements were tight on Monday as compared with a day earlier.

Apart from putting up barricades on the Delhi-Ghaziabad border, police had put up concrete slabs across the highway to prevent farmers from moving ahead, even though the protesters have made it clear that they would stay put till instructions from their leaders on the next course of action.

“We are monitoring the situation closely,” Delhi North-East Additional DCP Manjit Sheoran told IANS.

“At present, we do not have any input as to whether more farmers from Uttar Pradesh will reach the Ghazipur border or not. But if it happens, we are ready to handle the situation,” the police officer said.

“We have told the farmers that if they wish to go to the Burari ground, we will escort them to that place; but they are not convinced.”

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday asserted that they would thwart all attempts of the Centre to turn the ongoing protest by farmers into “violence that followed anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh” and other areas in Delhi in February.

“The Union government wants to make the Nirankari Maidan at Burari as a flashpoint for another re-run of the violent anti-CAA protests in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area in February. We will not let the government succeed in its attempt,” Tikait told IANS.

“If we reach the Burari ground, we will be accused of planning a protest similar to the Shaheen Bagh. We will not allow a repeat of the anti-CAA protests incidents with our farmers,” Tikait added.

Several farmer leaders from western Uttar Pradesh led by BKU leader Tikait will soon lead a convoy of Uttar Pradesh farmers at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in east Delhi to participate in the protest against the three central farm laws.

(With IANS inputs)