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‘Delhi Chalo’ march: Highways sealed, net suspended, paramilitary forces keep vigil in Haryana
Ambala deputy commissioner Shaleen said Ambala-Chandigarh NH-152, Ambala-Hisar NH-65, Ambala-Kala Amb NH-344 and other link roads with Patiala are being closed.
Two days ahead of the farmers’ proposed ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on February 13, the Haryana authorities on Saturday sealed the Haryana-Punjab border at Shambhu for vehicular movement.
Ambala deputy commissioner Shaleen said Ambala-Chandigarh NH-152, Ambala-Hisar NH-65, Ambala-Kala Amb NH-344 and other link roads with Patiala are being closed.
On the orders of the state home department, Rajiv Gandhi Sports Stadium in Sector 10 of Ambala City has been made a temporary open jail.
The Ambala administration in coordination with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) put in place jersey barriers joined by fresh concrete on the Ghaggar flyover at NH-44 (Panipat-Jalandhar) to thwart attempts by farmers to enter Delhi as called by the union leaders.
Director general of police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur, inspector general of police (IGP) Sibash Kabiraj and NHAI officials were also present on the spot to review the arrangements. Officials said service lanes or link roads on the border have also been closed.
IGP Kabiraj said several industrial associations, khaps and prominent Haryana farmer unions are against the agitation and thus Section 144 was imposed.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had announced ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by more than 200 farmers’ unions on February 13 to press the Centre to accept several demands, including enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
“The protest march is illegal when prohibitory orders are already in place and strict arrangements have been made to not allow the march. Traffic advisories have been issued for commuters to take alternate routes,” he told the media, after attending a coordination meeting of all forces, chaired by the DGP in Ambala City.
The Ambala deputy commissioner said, “Along with Haryana Police, paramilitary forces have also been deployed at border to maintain law and order.”
‘Farmers may march towards Delhi a day earlier’
Sources said police have received inputs that farmers from Punjab might move towards Delhi a day before February 13 as raids continue in the Ambala to detain Haryana-based leaders who are reportedly in hiding to evade agencies.
In several photos released on social media, farmer leaders such as Ramandeep Singh Mann, Amarjeet Singh Mohri, Tejveer Panjokhra and others were seen relaxing in farms at undisclosed location. Mohri, head of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), is leading the Haryana contingent.
On Saturday, several farmers from Rajpura region riding on tractors reached the border reportedly to inspect the Haryana arrangements.
Strict arrangements, including metal and jersey barriers, barbed wires, sandbags and other logistics are kept at Shambhu border, while view cutters and frames are also being installed on the Ghaggar bridge to stop farmers from throwing metal barricades over.
Chaos at highway, commuters hassled
As the traffic was stopped at Shambhu on Saturday morning, commuters flayed the mismanagement and blamed Haryana authorities for not issuing any advisory in advance.
A commuter travelling from Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, to IGI Airport in Delhi said he was stopped by the Ambala police abruptly. “Commuters are being stopped without any information in advance or diversion resulting in chaos,” he lamented.
Gurmeet Singh, another commuter travelling from Delhi to Patiala, said, “We were hassled as there was no police on the route to suggest diversion routes, while it was too much chaos before Jaggi City Centre in Ambala. We managed to turn back and take Shahabad-Pehowa route to reach Patiala.”
A taxi driver travelling from Ludhiana to the airport said, “I had to drop my passenger at Delhi airport for his Canada in the evening. Reaching in time is not possible amid this chaos.”
Kaithal DC Prashant Panwar on Saturday imposed section 144 in the district in view of the march. DGP Kapur, DC Panwar, Karnal range IGP Satender Gupta and others inspected arrangements at Tatiana naka at Kaithal-Patiala border.
Farmer unions from Punjab had called to enter Haryana through three borders — Ambala’s Shambhu barrier; Sirsa’s Dabwali border and Khanauri on Jind border, where they will be joined by their counterparts from Haryana.
