Following allegations that the farmers’ protests on Delhi’s borders were preventing oxygen tankers from reaching the city, the driver of one such vehicle went on record to say he had faced no such obstruction. A video of the statement (above) was posted on Twitter by journalist Hemant Rajaura.

According to the driver, it took him around two hours to ferry the medical supply from Modinagar in Uttar Pradesh to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in north Delhi. “When the protest was on in full swing, the same journey would take us around five hours since we had to take a detour. But the police cleared the path for us yesterday and we were not blocked by the farmers protesting at the Ghazipur border,” the driver said. He was catering to an emergency requirement of oxygen at GTB Hospital on Tuesday night.

Farmers have been stationed at Delhi borders since November 2020, demanding the recall of three laws that were passed by the Parliament in September 2020. Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait has also said that the protestors have not hindered the movement of any essential supplies and that the allegation of blocking oxygen tankers is “political and an attempt to discredit the protests”.