As thousands of farmers gear up for a planned march to Delhi on Tuesday, the Haryana government has taken preemptive measures by converting two large stadiums into makeshift jails.
Sources indicate that the Chaudhary Dalbir Singh Indoor Stadium in Sirsa and the Guru Gobind Singh Stadium in Dabwali will serve as temporary detention centers for farmers in case their march proceeds as planned, NDTV reported.
Authorities have stated that in the event of any potential unrest, detained or arrested farmers will be housed in these temporary jails.
Meanwhile, authorities in neighbouring Delhi have fortified borders with concrete blocks and deployed thousands of police personnel, alongside road spikes and barbed wires, along the interstate border.
The move to block borders has drawn criticism from opposition parties and farmer groups, despite the Centre's invitation to farmer unions for discussions on their demands scheduled for February 12.
Authorities in both Haryana and Delhi have justified the restrictions, citing concerns stemming from the 2020 protests against the now-repealed three farm laws.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, along with several farmer associations primarily from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, have called for the protest to pressure the Centre to address their demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.