The flow of traffic was crippled for the entire day on Tuesday after various Sikh organisations, seeking the arrest of one Anil Arora for hurting religious sentiments, blocked Samrala Chowk, one of the busiest crossroads of the city, for the fourth time in the fortnight.
The protestors also allegedly thrashed and injured a commuter who was trying to cross the road with his family. When the commuter wheedled with the protesters, he was rapped on the head with a stick. However, the cops did not take action.
While winding traffic jams were seen on all roads connected to Samrala Chowk, the police force posed as a mute spectator. Issuing an advisory, the traffic police diverted the traffic to other roads, but commuters remained a harried lot and many of them indulged in a spat with protesters.
Around 50 protestors gathered at Samrala Chowk and blocked the traffic at around 9am, and only lifted the protest around 6.30pm. In the meantime, the protestors barricaded the crossroad and exhibited stunts on motorcycles.
One of the protesters, Jaswant Singh Cheema, said, “Twenty days have passed since Anil Arora was booked, but the police has failed to arrest him. We will continue the protest till the accused have been arrested.”
{{/usCountry}}One of the protesters, Jaswant Singh Cheema, said, “Twenty days have passed since Anil Arora was booked, but the police has failed to arrest him. We will continue the protest till the accused have been arrested.”
{{/usCountry}}A commuter, Maninder Singh of Kundanpuri, said he was going to Fortis Hospital on Chandigarh Road to attend to a relative who was admitted there. However, he had been stuck in a jam. “Seizing the road is unjustified as hundreds of people suffered because of the protesters.”
A road side vendor, who sells channa kulacha for a living also lost a day’s wages due to the protest. “I did not go to work because of the protest. The police are quick to fine an auto-driver stopping at the wrong spot to pick up passengers, but the protesters were given free rein.”
Meanwhile, commissioner of police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that seven of the accused, who had helped Arora escape, had been arrested and several teams had been formed to arrest of the accused.
Arora had been booked for hurting religious sentiments on October 20. A cash reward of ₹1lakh has been announced for information about his whereabouts..