Farmers block Chandimandir, Naggal toll plazas

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 28

To protest lathicharge on farmers in Karnal, hundreds of farmers today blocked the Chandimandir toll plaza near Surajpur, causing huge traffic jams on both sides of the plaza. The call for the protest was given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and the Bharti Kisan Union.

Commuters’ ordeal

• Suresh Kumar of Kalka said he had come to the civil hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula, for a check-up of his son. He had been waiting in the bus for the past over three hours at old Panchkula, he added.
• Sunita Rani, a resident of Pinjore and student of Government PG College in Sector 1, said her classes were over at 2 pm. She had been waiting for over three hours but there was no bus service from the city due to the blockade by farmers. She had decided to cross the toll plaza on foot and catch some auto to reach home, she added.

Chander Mohan slams BJP govt for lathicharge on farmers

Criticising the ‘brutal’ lathicharge on peacefully protesting farmers, former Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan said on the one hand, the country was celebrating the 75th anniversary of Independence, and on the other, farmers are on the streets for the past nine months due to the adamant attitude of the Modi government. He said the BJP government at the Centre and in the state would have to be answerable to the alleged brutal attack on farmers.

As soon as the news of lathircharge reached farmers here, they gathered at the toll plaza and raised slogans against the Chief Minister and the state government. A large number of women were among the protesters.

Meanwhile, the police stopped the vehicular traffic at the old Panchkula light point from moving towards the toll plaza while the vehicles on the other side were stopped at the Pinjore light point.

Hundreds of vehicles were stuck in the jam. Commuters had a tough time in the hot and humid conditions. The jam continued for more than four and a half hours as there was no other route for traffic diversion.

After the news of the protest at the toll plaza started circulating on the social media, the Panchkula police reached the spot. They issued an advisory urging all commuters to avoid the Panchkula-Pinjore route except in extreme emergency.

Farmer leader Karam Singh said the brutal lathicharge on the farmers in Karnal, in which dozens of farmers suffered injuries in the head and fractures in legs, was highhandedness on the part of the Khattar government. The unarmed farmers were protesting peacefully about 15 km away from the venue of the BJP programme. Meanwhile, the Naggal toll plaza in Barwala, too, was blocked by protesting farmers. The blockade was lifted after about an hour and private buses operating from Panchkula bus terminal for Naraingarh and Shehjadpur in Ambala district could be seen passing through the toll plaza.

A large number of passengers were waiting at the local bus terminal in Sector 5 here as there was no government or private bus service available for Pinjore or Kalka.

Buses for all routes in Haryana were cancelled in view of the blockades at the toll plazas across the state.

Blockade lifted at 7.30 pm

Assistant Commissioner of Police Satish Kumar was seen trying to urge the protesting farmers to lift the blockade. Only ambulances are being given way by the farmers and at about 6 pm, two-wheelers were allowed by the protesting farmers to cross the toll plaza from both sides. Most of the people of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, who were on their way to Shimla, were trapped in the jam. At 7.30 pm, the farmers agreed to lift the blockade and the people heaved a sigh of relief.

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