The three-hour-long nationwide ‘chakka jam’ by protesting farmers was held today amid tight security, even as there was no such road blockade in the national capital which was turned into a fortress with heavy security deployment by Delhi Police, paramilitary and reserve forces personnel to prevent any untoward incident.

Farmer unions protesting against the Centre’s controversial farm laws had announced a countrywide ‘chakka jam’ on 6 February during which they would block national and state highways between 12 noon and 3 pm to protest the internet ban in areas near their agitation sites, ‘harassment’ meted out to them by authorities and police, and other issues.

However, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha ~ the umbrella body of 40 farmer unions ~ had said yesterday that the protesters will not block roads in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the ‘chakka jam’.

Delhi Police used drone cameras to keep a tight vigil at protest sites. It deployed over 40,000 police personnel in and around the national capital today to avoid any untoward incident.

Police had taken few left leaders in preventive custody. About 50 people were detained near Shaheedi Park in central Delhi for holding a protest in support of farmers’ ‘chakka jam’.

In view of the Republic Day violence that had left 500 security personnel injured and one protester dead in Delhi, the city police made additional measures, including tightening security and intensifying vigil across the national capital and its border points.

Security forces were deployed at important junctions across Delhi, including Red Fort and ITO, which had witnessed violence during the 26 January tractor rally organised by the protesting farmers.

Multilayered barricades, barbed wires and nail-studded roads at the protest sites were also part of the precautionary measures taken by the police force.

The police also monitored content on social media to keep a watch on those spreading rumours against the force, officials said.

Delhi Police commissioner S N Srivastava today visited the Red Fort to take stock of security arrangements there. Besides Delhi police personnel, sixty companies of paramilitary forces were also on stand-by near the Red Fort.

Ten Delhi Metro stations, including Mandi House and ITO stations, were closed today for the duration of the ‘chakka jam’ and reopened after this protest ended at 3 pm.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), in a series of tweets, informed commuters that multiple stations have been closed. “Security Update Entry/exit gates of Mandi House, ITO and Delhi Gate are closed,” it tweeted.

The DMRC later tweeted that entry and exit gates of Vishwavidyalaya station were also closed. “Entry/exit gates of Lal Quila, Jama Masjid, Janpath and Central Secretariat are closed. Interchange facility is available. Entry/exit gates of Khan Market and Nehru Place are closed,” it tweeted.

In the evening, the Delhi Metro stated that entry and exit gates of all 10 metro stations closed in view of ‘chakka jam’ had been re-opened, and normal services had resumed.

At all the three main protest sites on Delhi’s borders, protesting farmers camping there for over 70 days were busy with their routine affairs.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Deepak Yadav had said although the protesters had maintained that they would not enter the national capital, adequate security measures had been made as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order. “There are additional deployment of pickets at all the border points. All vehicles are being checked thoroughly at the entry and exit points of pickets and borders. Additional buses had been taken and extra barricades put up at the picket points across the city,” he said.

~With inputs from PTI~