Police divert routes, use strong barriers to halt Delhi march

A strong barricading arrangement and heavy police deployment were put in place at the Shambhu Toll Plaza on Friday to prevent members of various Punjab-based organisations from marching towards Delhi. Protesters from Quami Insaaf Morcha (QIM), Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and other groups had announced a march to the national capital to press their long-pending demands before the Central government.

Anticipating the gathering, Ambala Police diverted routes in the morning to prevent any untoward incident, resulting in long traffic jams from the Welcome Gate on the national highway to the Shambhu Toll Plaza. Commuters were stuck for hours as vehicles crawled along the diverted routes due to heavy congestion. Many motorists were seen taking village roads to reach their destinations.

Along with cemented blocks and steel barricades, seven companies of police personnel were deployed, with tear gas and water cannons kept on standby to stop any forceful breach. Policemen at the barricades guided commuters towards alternative routes throughout the day.

Ambala Police said strict directions had been issued to prevent the marchers from entering Haryana as they had no permission to protest in Delhi. However, the situation remained peaceful as protesters turned back after talks with authorities.

Superintendent of Police, Ambala, Ajit Singh Shekhawat, said, “Around 1,000 people had reached near the Shambhu border to march towards Delhi. Since they had no permission to hold a protest in Delhi, there were instructions not to let them cross forcefully, and a strong barricading was put up accordingly. To avoid any untoward incident, the routes were diverted.”

“However, they were in discussion with the Punjab and Central governments and they were given assurance that their demands would be considered at a higher level. The protesters were counselled at the border, and they went back peacefully,” he added. Traffic was restored later in the evening.