Farmers block roads in Punjab, Haryana as part of ‘chakka jam’

Tribune News Service
Karnal/Bathinda/Palwal, February 6

Farmers on Saturday parked their tractor-trailers in the middle of roads and raised slogans against the Centre during a three-hour-long "chakka jam" agitation in Punjab and Haryana.

Women took part in the stir in a sizeable number at several places.

The call for the nationwide "chakka jam" was given by the Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farm unions protesting the Centre's farm laws at the Delhi borders.

Farmers blocked 11 points in Karnal district. Bastara toll plaza on NH-44 was the main site where farmers gathered.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Patiala: Punjabi actors Binu Dhillon and Dev Kharoud, and Punjabi singer Pammi Bai participate in the Chakka Jam in Patiala

• Ambala: Congress, INLD, and Haryana Democratic Front leaders reach the dharna site near Shambhu toll plaza

• Yamunanagar: Farmers block road in Chhachhrauli town of Yamunanagar district

• Haryana Roadways suspend bus services for three hours in Jind

• Farmers block Sonepat-Gohana road near Badwasni village

• Highway blocked in Bhiwani district
• Apart from Bastara toll plaza on NH-44, farmers have also blocked Karnal-Kaithal road in Nissing near Gurdwara, Karnal-Indri road at Ramba, Nilokheri-Dhand road at Nigdhu main chowk, Karnal-Assandh road near grain market, Indri-Garhibirbal road near Biana grain market, Indri-Kurukshetra road near Bhadson, Karnal-Jind national highway-709A at Peont toll plaza, Karnal-Dhand road at Kachwa, Karnal-Meerut road at Nagla chowk, Munak-Assandh near Ballah, and in Dupehri
• As many as 28 duty magistrates and around 1,500 police personnel have been deployed to ensure law and order situation in Karnal district
• Zirakpur: Several light points in Zirakpur are blocked by protesters. Chandigarh-Zirakpur border and Panchkula-Zirakpur blocked. Traffic comes to a complete halt

Members of 52 Khaps (Pals) are also staging a sit-in on the National Highway 19, near Antola village of Palwal district as part of the Chakka Jam. Traffic on both sides of the highway and the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway has been halted.

Also read: Farmers block Chandigarh-Zirakpur, Panchkula-Zirakpur border points

Meanwhile, farmers in Bathinda blocked eight places in the district.

All national and state highways in the district have been blocked.

Farmers are protesting at Kanhiya Chowk, the Bathinda-Amritsar highway, Lehra Bega toll plaza and Rampura on the Bathinda-Chandigarh national highway among other places in the district.

A large number of farmers are carrying the Tricolour along with the union flags at the protest spots.

Emergency and essential services such as ambulance and school bus will not be stopped, the protesters have said. However, there was no report of violence from anywhere in both the states.

Heavy police presence was seen at various places in Haryana and Punjab to maintain law and order in view of the protest by the farmers.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police are all geared up to tackle any surprise element, including ‘flash mob’ tactics and ‘protest call on social media’ in view of the ‘chakka jam’.

Security has been tightened at strategic locations and the police are keeping an eye on the protest build-up in the bordering states and the protest sites close to Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders. — With agencies

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.