Man seen removing nails at Ghazipur border, police say 'nails repositioned'

NEW DELHI: Even as the stringent security measures were maintained on Wednesday at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, nails fixed near barricades were removed on Thursday, ANI reported.

A video tweeted by ANI showed a man removing the nails studded on the road near the barricade.

Delhi Police seen issued a clarification and said they were not being removed but repositioned.

"Videos and photos are getting circulated in which it's shown that nails are being taken off Ghazipur. These are just being repositioned. Position of arrangement at border remains the same," Delhi Police said in its clarification.

Iron nails were studded on roads, and multi-layer iron and concrete barricades and concertina wires installed following the 26 January tractor rally. A large number of security personnel are deployed, converting the Ghazipur protest site into a virtual fortress, preventing protesters' movement towards Delhi.

#WATCH | Nails that were fixed near barricades at Ghazipur border (Delhi-UP border) are being removed. pic.twitter.com/YWCQxxyNsH

— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2021

Internet services also remained disrupted for the fifth day on Wednesday. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had announced suspension of internet services at the three border points of Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur and their adjoining areas from 11 pm on 29 January till 11 pm on 31 January. It later extended the suspension till 11 pm on 2 February.

However, people at the protest site said they continued to face disruption in internet services on 3 February.

Ghazipur border is one of the key protest sites where thousands of farmers are camping with the demand that the Centre repeal the new farm laws enacted last September.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The protesting farmers have expressed the apprehension that these laws will pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities for farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.