Haryana farmers block roads, copies of farm bills burnt in Punjab

Haryana farmers block roads, copies of farm bills burnt in Punjab

Haryana farmers block roads, copies of farm bills burnt in Punjab

Patiala/Bathinda : To protest the recent police lathicharge on farmers in Haryana’s Sirsa, state farmers today blocked the border with the neighbouring state at the Shambu barrier for two hours. The road blockades were reported from several parts of the state also. At many places, farmers staged a sit-in and raised slogans against the Haryana Government.

 

Condemning the police action in Haryana, the farmers said they stood united with farmers of the neighbouring state in the fight against three contentious agriculture Acts.

‘Won’t be scared by pressure tactics’

There is no space for discussion, expression and dialogue right now. We won’t be scared by lathicharge and other pressure tactics. We will resist the Acts till our last breath. — Saudagar Ghudani, general secretary, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan)

“Today’s ‘Chakka Jam’ was against the police action of Haryana. “We (farmers) are united against the Acts. One should not take this as a daylong or weeklong protest. It is an indefinite protest, which continue till the Acts are rolled back,” said Buta Singh, a farmer leader.

Haryana farmers block roads, copies of farm bills burnt in Punjab

Swaran Singh, another farmer leader, said: “If the Modi government believes farmers are divided, they are mistaken. We will not be scared by the lathicharge or the cases against us. The protest will be intensified in the days to come.”

Protesting farmers blocked the Patiala-Sirhind road near Baran village, Patiala-Samana road near Dhaintal and Patiala-Nabha road near Kalyan village.

In Bathinda also, farmers blocked roads. A major protest was held on the GT Road connecting Mansa and Dabwali roads near ITI Chowk flyover. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) state secretary Shingara Singh Mann said: “Apart from ongoing protests, BKU today staged separate protest at seven places against the cane charge incident.” In Sangrur too, farmers blocked the Barnala Chowk and announced to intensify their agitation against the farm Acts.

 

“The government can’t scare us by using force. We will further intensify our agitation against the farm Acts,” said Bhupinder Singh Longowal, a leader of the Kirti Kisan Union.

In Mandi Ahmedgarh, farmers staged dharnas on the Ludhiana-Malerkotla highway. While the dharna in front of a filling station of Reliance continued for the ninth day, protesters began a sit-in today at a toll plaza for an indefinite period. At Doraha in Ludhiana district, residents of several villages joined the protest led by the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), resolving not to move even an inch till their demand for revocation of the contentious farm legislations was met.

Commuters a harried lot on national higways

Ropar: Commuters faced harrowing times as traffic remained disrupted due to dharnas by farmers on two national highways. A large number of vehicles were stranded on the Chandigarh road and Morinda bypass on the Kharar-Ludhiana road as farmers protested.

The traffic was diverted towards Bahrampur Zamindara and Khabra villages. The narrow village roads failed to accommodate a heavy traffic of the national higways.TNS