Traffic hit as farmers intensify protest, block KMP expressway in Haryana for 24 hours
Traffic on the 135-km-long Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway in Haryana, connecting the Delhi-Agra and Delhi-Ambala highways, was completely hit on Saturday after farmers began protests at several points in response to a call by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) for a 24-hour blockade.
FollowIntensifying their protest against the three farm laws, farmers blocked the Kundli–Manesar–Palwal expressway at some places in Haryana on Saturday. The blockade started at 8 am and would last 24 hours.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of protesting farmer unions spearheading the agitation against the agriculture-related legislations, on Friday gave a call for a 24-hour blockade of the KMP expressway.
However, there were no reports of protests on the stretch of the road passing through Gurugram.
The SKM claimed that a few farmer activists were detained at Rewasan in Nuh district during the protests.
Superintendent of Police, Nuh, Narendra Bijarniya, however, denied detentions, saying protesters were taken to the police station for talks after they blocked the Gurugram-Nuh road as well, leading to long traffic snarls.
“The blocking of the Gurugram-Nuh road was causing a lot of inconvenience to the commuters. We, therefore, took the protesters to the police station to talk to them,” said Bijarniya.
Protesting farmers, however, said emergency vehicles will be allowed to ply. Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said the blockade would be for 24 hours.
Farmers, including women, carried flags of their organisations and raised slogans against the government. They squatted on the expressway while slamming the central government for not repealing the farm laws.
Haryana Police in the meanwhile issued a traffic advisory, asking travellers to avoid the KMP expressway.
Hundreds of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three border points of Delhi -- Singhu, Tikri (along Haryana), and Ghazipur--demanding a repeal of the three laws enacted by the Centre in September last year.
The Centre says the new farm laws will free farmers from middlemen, giving them more options to sell their crops.
The protesting farmers, however, say the laws will weaken the minimum support price (MSP) system and leave them at the mercy of big corporates.
