Kesar Ganj Mandi traders go on two-day strike over ‘police harassment’

The market association allege that the cops deputed on the lockdown duty at the mandi make the traders park their vehicles at least 400 metres away from their shops and don’t allow them to open shutter while unloading the material from their vehicles

The traders at the Kesar Ganj Mandi, a wholesale groceries market, went on a two-day strike on Saturday, alleging police harassment with them.

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“The cops deputed here on the lockdown duty have been troubling traders every now and then. They make the traders park their vehicles at least 400 metres away from their shops and don’t allow them to open shutter while unloading the material from their vehicles,” members of the market association said, adding that the police personnel also threaten them with sealing their shops.

“Therefore, to show our resentment, all associations of the Kesar Ganj Mandi have decided to keep the shops shut on Saturday and Sunday,” they added.

Rice Traders’ Association president Subhash Bansal said earlier, due to the lockdown they were not operating. Later, the officials of the food and supply department called them for a meeting and requested to resume work so that the supply of essential commodities does not get affected in the city. The police and district administration had also promised full cooperation to them.

However, now the police personnel deployed here are not cooperating with us, Bansal said.

“If we have to make home deliveries, we are supposed to pick heavy cartons, walk for 400 metres to reach our vehicles. While unloading the groceries from delivery vehicles, we have to open the shutter, but police don’t allow us to open the shutters. If police, doctors and sanitary workers are getting appreciation for working amid Covid-19 fear, we too are doing the same. But we are being harassed,” he said.

President of the Dal Trade Association Pritpal Singh alleged that the police were biased towards some traders, who they allowed to open shutters while unloading the material.

“Before the lockdown, we had lodged a compliant against a station house officer (SHO) over his misbehaviour with the traders and now he is harassing us,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, commissioner of police (CP) Rakesh Agarwal said he was not aware about strike called by the traders.

“I will ask the associations to discuss their grievances and we will resolve them soon,” the CP said.