Hundreds of farmers, including women, held a blockade at five points on the 135-km-long Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway, connecting five districts of Haryana, on Saturday to mark 100 days of the agitation around Delhi in protest against the farm laws.
The protests led to traffic snarls at a few points and the police diverted traffic to avoid inconvenience to the commuters.
In response to a call from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, joint front of the farmer unions, the farmers from various protest sites along the highway assembled at different points on the road around 11 a.m. They blocked the traffic at two points each in Sonipat and Jhajjar districts, besides at a toll plaza in Palwal. No blockades were reported in Nuh and Gurugram.
Sonipat SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa told The Hindu that hundreds of protesters had laid blockade at Kundli and Kharkhoda leading to traffic snarls. He said the traffic headed to Delhi from Chandigarh was diverted at four points: Haldana, Gannaur, Murthal and Bahalgarh. The police had also issued a traffic advisory on Friday.
In Jhajjar, the farmers laid blockade at Badli and Asoda and traffic was diverted at 10 points. The police, however, claimed the traffic flow was smooth. In Gurugram, the traffic headed towards the KMP Expressway was diverted at Farrukhnagar.
Also read: Farmers’ protests | Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader hints at nuanced stand on demands
Many farmers supported by “Khaps” walked to the toll plaza on the KMP Expressway in Palwal raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and laid blockade. They also raised slogans hailing the farmers’ unity. Former Congress MLA Karan Dalal told the farmers all communities resent the laws but the Modi government was ill treating the farmers.
Also read: Farm, trade unions to join hands against farm laws, labour codes
The SKM, in a press statement, said the farmers had peacefully blocked the KMP and the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal Expressway from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to send the message that the spirit of people was not going to flag in any season.
A mahapanchayat was held in Haryana’s Farmana Chaubisi seeking the repeal of the three farm laws and legal guarantee for MSP.
