Farmers' protest: Trains diverted amid ‘rail roko’ stir in Punjab

Trains diverted as farmers squat on tracks in Punjab to protest the action against 'Delhi Chalo' protesters

Some trains on the Delhi-Amritsar route were diverted on Thursday after farmers squatted on tracks at many places in Punjab over the Haryana Police's action against 'Delhi Chalo' protesters.

Protesting farmers demanding guaranteed crop prices for their produce sit on train tracks at a railway station in Rajpura, Punjab. (AP)

Farmers also staged dharnas at several toll plazas and forced authorities to not charge the commuters a toll fee.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and BKU Dakunda (Dhaner) had given the call for a four-hour 'rail roko' protest at several places in Punjab.

Farmers began their stir around 12 pm by squatting on rail tracks at several places. The demonstrations are likely to continue till 4 pm.

As farmers are sitting on the railway tracks at several places on the main Delhi- Amritsar route, railway authorities diverted the routes of the trains via Chandigarh (for Delhi side) and Lohian Khas (for Amritsar and Jalandhar side).

A spokesperson of Indian Railways said Shatabdi and Shan-e-Punjab Express trains coming from Delhi were terminated at the Ludhiana railway station.

Demonstrations at toll plazas

Meanwhile, on the call of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, farmers also staged demonstrations at several toll plazas to protest against the use of tear gas by Haryana Police when farmers demanding minimum support price were marching towards national capital on Tuesday.

They also forced the toll authorities to let go the commuters without charging them a toll fee.

We are holding an agitation against the police action on farmers who were trying to go to Delhi, said Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Harmit Singh Kadian.

In Hoshiarpur, farmers staged protests at two toll plazas on the Jalandhar-Pathankot National Highway. Farmers led by state president of Doaba Kisan Committee (DKC) Jangveer Singh Chauhan gathered at the toll plazas at Cholang and Harse Mansar and staged dharnas there.

They raised slogans against the Union government and the Haryana government, demanding justice for farmers.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' agitation to put pressure on the Centre for their demands, including a law on minimum support price for crops and loan waivers.

On Tuesday, farmers had clashed with Haryana Police at two border points between the states, facing tear gas and water cannons as they tried to break the barricades blocking their protest march to the national capital.