Activists block NH9 for 2 hrs after cow carcasses found near Hindon in Ghaziabad

Activists blocked National Highway 9 to protest against cow slaughter after cattle carcasses were found near the Hindon river. Traffic was disrupted for two hours but later resumed. The protesters demand that the culprits be identified and a police complaint will be submitted.

Hundreds of activists blocked National Highway 9 (NH9) on Thursday afternoon to protest against cow slaughter after cattle carcasses were discovered near the banks of the Hindon near Chijarsi, resulting in traffic snarls from UP Gate to Vijay Nagar.

Traffic jam on NH9 near Indirapuram in Ghaziabad on Thursday. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Nimish Patil, assistant commissioner of police (city 1), said the protesters blocked the Delhi-Ghaziabad carriageway of NH9 around noon while traffic on the other side and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway was not affected.

Commuters on two-wheelers, cars, and commercial vehicles were the worst affected as vehicle movement was halted on the highway for two hours and traffic resumed at 2.30pm.

“The internal roads of Indirapuram were chaotic and jammed as a result and people were unable to go to NH9 or Vijay Nagar. There was a long jam around UP Gate also,” said Kuldeep Saxena, an Indirapuram resident.

“The jam on NH9 was cleared after two hours. Some remains of dead animals were found near river Hindon at Chijarsi. We are yet to receive any complaint about the cattle slaughter incident. We are also considering options to book the protesters for blocking the highway. The carcass plant near the Hindon belongs to the civic body and cannot be removed from its location,” said ACP Patil.

Pinki Chaudhary, president of the Hindu Raksha Dal, which organised the protest, said that when the protesters arrived at the civic body’s carcass plant, they found it locked up.

“Hundreds of activists and members of our organisation blocked the highway after the remains of four cattle turned up near Chijarsi. We suspect that the cattle were slaughtered in upstream areas, dumped in the river and flowed downstream. We demand that the culprits should be identified. We will soon submit a police complaint,” said Pinky.