E-Paper
Ludhiana: Commuters hassled as protesters lay siege to Bharat Nagar Chowk
The protesters were demanding the arrest of right-wing leader Anil Arora who had allegedly made some objectionable religious comments; due to the protest, traffic movement was disrupted on Link Road, Mall Road, Ferozepur Road and surrounding roads as well
Commuters were a harried lot on Sunday as Sikh organisations staged a protest at Bharat Nagar Chowk, one of the busiest intersections in the city, for over two hours, seeking the arrest of right-wing leader Anil Arora who had allegedly made some objectionable religious comments.
Due to the protest at Bharat Nagar Chowk, traffic movement was disrupted on this stretch as well as the Link Road, Mall Road, Ferozepur Road and surrounding roads. Police tried to divert traffic to other roads, but commuters were stuck in the jam due to the rush on internal roads.
Abhiraj Singh of Model Town, a commuter, said he had gone to see the Diwali Mela with his family, but got stuck in the jam for at least an hour.
Pankaj Sharma, another commuter, said blocking roads is not a solution to any problem. “It is sad that such protests have become a routine affair.”
Bhavandeep Singh, one of the protesters, said, “We had been protesting peacefully near Samrala Chowk to seek the arrest of Anil Arora, however, police is deliberately delaying the accused’s arrest. So, we decided to block traffic at Bharat Nagar Chowk.”
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, City 3) Sameer Verma said, “Police made diversions near ESIC Chowk, Mall Road, Bhai Bala Chowk and Jagraon Bridge to ensure smooth traffic flow. The agitators ended their protest on their own after two hours.”
Anil Arora was booked for hurting religious statements on October 20 after an audio of him purportedly making some objectionable statements went viral on social media. Police have arrested at least six people for allegedly sheltering the accused. A cash reward of ₹1 lakh has also been announced on his head.