Despite security alert at railway stations and highways, youths and defence services aspirants, blocked traffic on the Delhi-Meerut expressway in support of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call on Monday.
Three passenger trains between Saharanpur and Meerut were also cancelled due to the bandh call.
Traffic on the Delhi- Meerut expressway was disrupted for over half an hour between Bhojpur and Kashi on Monday.
Ravindra Kumar, senior manager of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) at Kashi toll plaza said youths arrived at the expressway on Sunday afternoon and blocked traffic.
“Police rushed from Meerut and Ghaziabad to disperse the protestors from the expressway,” said Kumar.
Additional police force was deployed at Meerut city, Cantt, Daurala and Sakauti railway stations. Senior officials of railway protection force (RPF) kept inspecting security arrangements at regular intervals.
Rashtriya Jat Mahasabha’s state president Rohit Jakhar claimed he was placed under a virtual house arrest.
“Cops arrived at my house on Monday morning and prevented me from visiting coaching institutes where I wanted to interact with youths preparing for a job with the defence services,” Jakhar said and pictures of cops at his house.
Rashtriya Lok Dal’s (RLD’s) senior leader Rajkumar Sangwan claimed that in Baghpat and Shamli districts police reached the houses of those party leaders who had supported and attended protests of the youths.
{{/usCountry}}Rashtriya Lok Dal’s (RLD’s) senior leader Rajkumar Sangwan claimed that in Baghpat and Shamli districts police reached the houses of those party leaders who had supported and attended protests of the youths.
{{/usCountry}}He claimed that the police also visited coaching institutes and such places where youths do physical exercise in villages. Sangwan claimed that the police were also collecting details of youths and coaching centre owners.
“Their purpose is to discourage those supporting youths,” he said. He said youths in large numbers would attend RLD’s ‘youth panchayat’ in Shamli on June 26.
Both BKU (Tikait) and BKU (asli) have also announced they will support youths against the new recruitment scheme. BKU (asli) president Harpal Singh Bilari said that farmers were with youths on the issue.
He said a panchayat has been convened in Babrala, Sambhal district on June 23 to decide future course of action on the issue.