E-Paper
Day 2 of protest: Farmers’ gathering swells to 10k, more set to join
To meet Punjab governor; protest may spill over more towards IISER Chowk connecting Airport road, Mohali. The farmers’ gathering at the Chandigarh-Mohali border has swelled to 2.5 km on both sides of the road from Faidan barrier (along Sector 48) and crossed Bestech Mall, Phase-9, towards IISER light point on Monday.
The farmers gathering at the Chandigarh-Mohali border has swelled to 2.5 km on both sides of the road from Faidan barrier (along Sector 48) and crossed Bestech Mall, Phase-9, towards IISER light point on Monday.
With around 3,000 more farmers reaching Mohali in 24 hours in the wake of a three-day protest call by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), around 600 additional tractor-trailers reached the protest site from 6.30 pm on Sunday to 1.30 am on Monday, besides other vehicles.
An umbrella body of 32 farmer unions, the morcha has called the protest to press the Centre to accept their pending demands. According to the police, around 10,000 farmers joined the protest till Monday who reached here in around 1,200 trolleys, 500 cars, 50 buses and trucks.
Farmer leaders at the protest site claimed that over 3,000 more farmers are expected to join the agitation on Tuesday which means that the protest may swell more towards IISER Chowk connecting the Airport road, Mohali.
Mohali SSP Sandeep Garg said that traffic won’t be affected on the Airport road as the traffic beyond Bestech Mall won’t be obstructed by the farmers.
Harinder Singh Lakhowal, president, Bharti Kisan Union (BKU), said, “We received an invitation from the Punjab governor and thus our delegation will meet him on Tuesday and submit our memorandum of demands. After meeting him, we will decide our future course of action. So far, we are not planning to extend the agitation or march towards Chandigarh”.
However, according to sources, the farmers may extend their protest.
Ready to protest against govt’s ‘anti-farmer’ policies: Tikait
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait reached the protest site. “Farmers across the country are ready to protest against anti-farmer policies of the Union and state governments. We will continue our agitation across the country till the government listens to us,” he said.
However, the traffic in the city didn’t get much affected as it was a holiday.
Mohali police barricaded the stretch from both sides. The entire stretch leading to the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali, will remain closed to traffic till November 28. Both Mohali and Chandigarh police have deployed around 2,000 cops.
Delegation to meet Haryana guv
A delegation of farmers at Sector 5, Panchkula, will go to the Haryana governor’s house on Tuesday.
An 18-member committee of farmers, including state president of the BKU Rattan Singh Mann, held a meeting where it was decided that their delegation will go to the Haryana governor’s house and submit a memorandum.
They also decided to hold a symbolic march till the Housing Board Chowk on Tuesday. A total of 900 police personnel had been deployed in Panchkula. About 1,000 farmers have already reached Panchkula and more are expected to join by late night. Protesting mid-day meal workers and anganwadi workers also joined the protest.
With inputs from Shailee Dogra
Traffic restrictions
Avoid the road towards the airport from Tribune Chowk.
The entire stretch leading to Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali, will remain closed to traffic till Nov 28
Commuters going towards airport, Aerocity and Bestech Mall are advised to take right from Faidan barrier and then left from Sector 46/47/48/49/ chowk straight towards Airport Road in Mohali.
