"We, too, have to run our families": Confederation of Bahadurgarh Industries urges farmers not to hold protest in Jhajjar
"We are not against the farmers. Their demands should be met. But we urge them not to disturb our businesses for the sake of their demands. Internet services have been suspended for the last two days. There are electricity issues as well. People are panicking here," the President of COBI said.
ANI
Feb 13, 2024 20:13 IST
Jhajjar (Haryana) [India], February 13 (ANI): Members of the Confederation of Bahadurgarh Industries (COBI) on Tuesday appealed to farmers not to hold their protest in the industrial hub here.
During the peaceful demonstration, the members of the Confederation were seen raising posters appealing to the protesting farmers not to congregate in the Bahadurgarh area to ensure minimum impact on their business.
Visuals showed several industrialists and employees gathered at the protest site, holding placards. 
Praveen Garg, President of COBI, told ANI, "As we are aware that the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in 2020; people in our country suffered through it for almost two years. Meanwhile, the farmers' protest began and continued for 378 days. During that period, we saw businesses suffer. Bahadurgarh is the hub of the industries. Lakhs of employees work here. So if the protests happen again, they will suffer."
"We are not against the farmers. Their demands should be met. But we urge them not to disturb our businesses for the sake of their demands. Internet services have been suspended for the last two days. There are electricity issues as well. People are panicking here," he added.
"We appeal to our farmer brothers with folded hands to withdraw their protest. Last time, when they were sitting here for a continuous 378 days, our industries and businesses began to suffer and people went unemployed. So, there is a fear in the minds of the employees," an employee told ANI. 
"We are not standing against farmers. We have no demand as such. Kindly do not sit here and do not block the roads. We, too, have to run our families," he added.
Meanwhile, Haryana police detained several protesting farmers as they marched towards Delhi on Tuesday.
The protesting farmers were seen attempting to break the multi-layered barricades using their tractors and hand weapons.
Police have placed concrete slabs, iron nails, barricades and barbed wires at several parts of the border. Paramilitary personnel have also been deployed.
The farmers have put forth 12 demands before the central government for which they're marching to Delhi.
The protest this time has been called by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.
According to the protesting farmers, the centre promised them better crop prices, after which they ended the 2021 protest. (ANI)
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