Farmers stopped at Housing Board lights

Amit Bathla

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Tribune News Service

Panchkula, June 26

After a long march from the Nada Sahib gurdwara, thousands of farmers, who were going to the Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh to submit a memorandum over the three farm bills, had to stop at the Chandigarh entry point near the Housing Board light point due to a heavy deployment of police personnel euqipped with water cannons, trucks and tippers.

Leading the march, Haryana BKU leader Gurnam Singh Charuni and Samyukt Kisan Morcha member Yogendra Yadav, who had pledged to maintain peace if they were not allowed to move forward, eventually handed over a memorandum addressed to the President to the ADC to Governor before turning back.

Prior to the submission of the letter of protest, Yadav read out its contents while standing atop a car. He said the farmers started gathering at the Nada Sahib gurdwara at 10 am and their departure towards Chandigarh began around 12:40 pm after the arrival of their leaders.

On the Ghaggar bridge near Majri Chowk, the protesters met with a road blockade. They, however, moved forward by pushing aside the barricades and cement blocks erected by the police to stop them.

They passed through Majri Chowk, Bella Vista Chowk and Geeta Chowk before they were denied entry into the UT at Chandigarh border. A majority of protestors marched on foot, while some were in cars and tractors.

Meanwhile, Charuni, while speaking to The Tribune over the phone, questioned the Modi government’s “lack of enthusiasm” to resolve farmers’ issue despite seven months of their protest. He added that they would continue to intensify their movement until three black laws were withdrawn.

Commissioner of Police Saurabh Singh said as they had anticipated a major law and order issue, they had deployed ‘’sufficient force” to tackle it.

“We had a major challenge to maintain the law and order in view of the protest march passing through a route that alongside has administrative buildings and residential buildings. But…the protest march went off peacefully,’’ he said.

Ambulance put on alternative route

An ambulance had got stuck at the Chandigarh-Panchkula border as it was blocked by the police to stop farmers from entering Chandigarh. Immediately, arrangments were made for the movement of the ambulance into Chandigarh through an alternative route.