Indian farmers’ stir: Haryana police threatens protesters with cancellation of passports & visas
Chandigarh: In what comes as a strict action against the ongoing farmers’ protest, the police authorities in Haryana have announced that they have initiated the process to cancel passports and visas of those individuals who were allegedly involved in breaking barricades or causing disturbances at the Punjab border during the recent agitation.
According to Kashmir Media Service, since February 13, farmers mostly from Punjab have been protesting at established camps at the Khanauri and Shambhu points along the Punjab-Haryana border. The farmers are slated to decide whether they will resume their march and move towards Delhi. They had earlier decided to halt their march to the Indian capital.
According to DSP Ambala, Joginder Sharma who told the media in a video statement, the process of identifying the people has been started. The authorities have said that they have used the surveillance capabilities of CCTV and drone cameras and have successfully identified the people whose passports they hope to have cancelled.
The police will now approach the Indian Ministry and embassy and request for the cancellation of visas and passports for these people. Various details such as photographs, names, and addresses of the identified people will be submitted to the passport office.
According to the Indian Express, a police officer has told the newspaper that different action is being taken against those what he described as ‘rowdies’ who travelled from Punjab to Haryana during the course of the farmer agitation.
The Indian daily also revealed that leaders of Haryana farmer unions have told that the state police have fixed notices to their residences which informs them that the state intends to ‘recover’ damages to public and private properties that took place during the agitation. The notices also say that they will also seize the farmers’ assets and freeze their bank accounts.
