Long snarls were witnessed at the Zirakpur-Chandigarh border, Gharuan, and on the Kurali and Rupnagar-Mohali bypass roads as police erected barricades to prevent farmer union members from entering Chandigarh today.
At Phase 6, several ambulances were seen stuck in traffic near both the Civil Hospital and a multi-specialty facility.
The police did not allow union members to enter the district at all. Early in the morning, senior police officials said all attempts to stage protests would be countered firmly.
All entry and exit points were barricaded, suspicious vehicles checked and public transport buses scanned extensively.
The protesters were thus unable to enter the district, but in the process, the common man on the road remained inconvenienced.
Both the government and farmer leaders are taking turns to create roadblocks for common man. I had to leave my scooter midway and carry my one-year-old child to reach my destination,” said Kirti Bhalla, a road user caught in a snarl on the Zirakpur-Chandigarh border.
The protesters largely remained away from action but heavy police presence meant road users remained caught in snarls on the National Highway for hours.
In a respite, traffic moved per usual on the inner roads in Mohali.
“The police and government is happy that they kept the protesters away but what about the common man?” said Bhushan Singh, aroadusres caught in a snarl near Gharuan.
The police detained a couple of BKU Ugrahan union members after a minor skirmish at ITI Chowk, Lalru, in the morning. Ugrahan members, with flags in their hands, later staged a sit-in inside the police post.
BKU Lakhowal union members were also forcefully evicted from roadside near at Dappar toll plaza as cops were in no mood to see protesters on the road.
At both the spots, protesters raised slogans against the state government and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. Lalru and Dera Bassi station house officers (SHO) were involved in a heated exchange with the protesters.
In Sector 54, around two dozen protesters from Rupnagar managed to approach the Mohali-Chandigarh border around 11 am. Around an hour later, tractor-trailers were taken away from the spot. The protesters were later taken to Mataur police station where they were served langar before being let-off.
Farmers union member advocate Jaspal Singh Dappar said several tractor trolleys were stopped at Dappar toll plaza and Azizpur toll plaza. Some leaders were picked up a day before and detained at Zirakpur police station.