Punjab leaders stopped from entering Haryana

Tribune News Service

Ambala, September 20

The day the Parliament passed three contentious farm Bills amid protests by Opposition MPs, hundreds of Punjab Youth Congress activists who were on their way to Delhi to back protesting farmers were stopped in their tracks by the police at the inter-state border near here on Sunday.

The police had to use water cannons to disperse the activists after the latter tried to march forward by breaking the barricades. In protest, the Congress members hurled stones at the police and set a tractor on fire.

The activists led by Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, Youth Congress president Srinivas BV and Punjab Youth Congress leader Barinder Singh started off in tractors from Punjab. When they reached Sadopur border here, the police stopped them.

Raising slogans against the BJP-led Central government, Srinivas said: “The BJP government has been taking anti-farmer decisions. It is under the false impression that it can suppress the voice of farmers.”

Another leader said, “Punjab is part of India. Do we need a passport to enter Haryana? They (police and administration) cannot stop us to go to Delhi.”

After protesting for nearly one-and-a-half hour, the Youth Congress leaders were taken away by the Punjab police. Subsequently, the road was opened for traffic.

Ambala Range Inspector General (IG) Y Puran Kumar said, “Farmers’ organsiations had given a call for a ‘chakka jam’ in Haryana. In their solidarity, Youth Congress members wanted to join them. Since the Haryana Police apprehended a clash, Congress leaders were stopped at the inter-state border itself. The Punjab Police persuaded the protesters to not march forward.”