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Ludhiana: Farm leaders open Ladhowal toll gate for 4 hours to press for anti-sacrilege law
Raising slogans against the state government, farm leaders accused it of failing to enact a strict law to ensure exemplary punishment for those involved in sacrilege cases
Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) on Friday staged a protest at the Ladhowal toll plaza, suspending toll collection for four hours in support of the ongoing “Dharam Yudh Morcha” at Samana, which is demanding a stringent law to prevent sacrilege of religious scriptures.
The protesters gathered at the toll plaza around noon and allowed commuters to pass without paying toll tax till 4 pm. Raising slogans against the state government, farm leaders accused it of failing to enact a strict law to ensure exemplary punishment for those involved in sacrilege cases.
Addressing mediapersons at the site, union leaders — Kulwinder Singh Masiyana, district president (Jalandhar), Karmajit Singh, block president (Ludhiana), Gurinder Singh, block president (Ludhiana), and Balkar Singh, district president (Nawanshahr) — alleged that despite promises made before coming to power, the government had not introduced effective legislation on the issue.
They further claimed that instead of framing a stringent law, the administration was attempting to curb participation in the Samana morcha by conducting raids and detaining individuals heading to join the protest. Such actions, they alleged, had created an atmosphere of fear in villages.
The union also expressed solidarity with Bhai Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, who has been staging a prolonged protest seeking strict punishment for those involved in sacrilege incidents. Leaders appealed to people across Punjab to extend peaceful support to the morcha and raise their voice for the protection of all religious scriptures, including the Guru Granth Sahib.
Police personnel were deployed at the toll plaza to maintain law and order. Traffic movement remained smooth during the protest and no untoward incident was reported. Toll collection resumed at 4 pm after the demonstration concluded peacefully.
