Army cavalcade blocked, pro-Khalistan slogans raised in Ambala

Tribune News Service
Ambala, September 25

During the farmers’ protests, Army cavalcade was blocked and pro-Khalistan slogans were raised in Ambala.

On Friday, the Bharat Bandh, which was given by over 30 organisations—including, All India Farmers Union, Bharatiya Kisan Union and All India Kisan Mahasangh—to protest agasint the three contentious agricultural legislation recently passed by the Parliament.

Hundreds of farmers from the district hit the streets and roads to demand a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP).

As hundreds gathered on the busy Ambala-Amritsar Highway-1, here, holding demonstrations, a cavalcade of Army trucks were also stopped, and not allowed to pass through.

The senior officers, along with the heavy police force in riot gear, tried for over an hour to persuade to the agitators to allow the Army cavalcade on emergency duty to pass through, but it was all in vain.

Finally, the police made way for the Army convoy, and let it pass through the wrong side of the highway for its forward journey.

Later, an Army Gypsy was also stopped by the protesters and instead of giving it the way, they shouted pro Khalistan slogans, forcing the Army vehicle to move back.

Heavy police force deployed in Ambala to check the movement of protesters, however, remained mute spectators.

Before converging on the busy highways passing through here, the groups of agitators held a protest march in the main bazaars and streets of the twin towns to ensure that all shops and commercial establishments, except those dealing with the emergency services, were closed for the day.

No sooner the protesters laid seize on the highways, the movement of vehicular traffic to and fro Ambala was badly hit and long queues of vehicles could be seen on both sides of the highways as the farmers squatted on the middle to hold the demonstration.

Raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and both local BJP MLAs (Home Minister Anil Vij and Aseem Goel), the protesting farmers alleged that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was opening up the farm sector to big corporate houses and pushing small and marginal farmers to starvation.

“It’s just the beginning and we will intensify the protest further till the Centre withdraws the anti-farmer and anti-farm labour controversial Bills,” asserted the peasants.

Sensing trouble, the police had blocked the Haryana-Punjab inter-state borders by erecting barricades to stop the protesters from moving ahead since morning.

However, no untoward incident was reported and the situation remained under control in the district.