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Traffic chaos on Mohali roads as cops seal border amid Qaumi Insaaf Morcha’s protest
Since January 7, 2023, the morcha has laid siege at the YPS Chowk in Mohali, seeking release of Sikh prisoners lodged in jails for over 25 years
The Mohali and Chandigarh Police sealed borders between the two cities after scores of Qaumi Insaaf Morcha supporters gathered near YPS Chowk to march towards governor’s residence in Chandigarh, leading to traffic chaos on Mohali roads.
Since January 7, 2023, the morcha has laid siege at the YPS Chowk in Mohali, seeking release of Sikh prisoners lodged in jails for over 25 years.
Around 200 morcha supporters, including farmers, reached the YPS Chowk from Fatehgarh Sahib with their cars, motorcycles and other vehicles to show solidarity. The protesters warned the state and the Centre governments that they will intensify the protests if their demands are not met.
Both the Mohali and Chandigarh Police deployed heavy forces to ensure that the protesters do not enter the Union territory, and to avoid any untoward incident. Senior police officers, including UT and Mohali senior superintendents of police (SSPs), were leading the efforts.
The protesters passed through deputy commissioner (DC) office complex road in Sector 76, reached the busy airport road at Radha Soami Chowk, headed towards Sohana Gurdwara and eventually turned towards the YPS Chowk road. Traffic was hit on all these stretches. “I was not aware of the road diversions and barricading and got stuck in a traffic congestion between Sector 43, Chandigarh, and Phase 7. The government should not allow such a march which interrupts traffic and causes harassment to the public,” said Gaurav Bhatia, a Mohali resident.
The stir ended after Punjab cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal took a memorandum from the protesters.
The barricades were lifted, and the traffic flow started to ease out.
“The morcha has been peacefully protesting for rights of Sikh prisoners for almost two years. The prisoners, who completed their jail terms long ago, are languishing in prisons. The governments are least bothered about their human rights. We will continue our protest till our demands are met. We will hold a detailed review meeting at the YPS Chowk protest site on October 19 to decide on the further course of action,” said Gurdeep Singh of Bathinda, who was among the protesters.
