Chandigarh, Nov 5 (IANS) Several farmer organisations in Punjab and Haryana on Thursday joined a nationwide protest against the farm laws by blocking national highways and crucial road networks, severely affecting the movement of traffic for four hours from 12 noon.
However, there was no report of any violence in both the agrarian states.
Angry over three agriculture-related laws passed by the Central government in September, hundreds of farmers blocked the major highways to demand that the laws should be revoked.
The protesters also warned to take their protest to Delhi.
Heavy police presence was seen at various places in Punjab and Haryana to maintain law and order in view of the protest by farmers.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday led a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to get “justice for the poor farmers”.
He said he was not in Delhi to confront the Centre but to fight for the farmers rights, whose livelihood was at stake due to the new Central farm laws.
Asserting that “we are here not to disturb peace but to preserve it”, Amarinder Singh added that he and other legislators from Punjab were forced to come to Delhi as the President had declined their request for a meeting on the plea that the state amendment Bills were still pending with the Governor.
Questioning the rationale behind the Centre’s refusal allowing plying of trains in Punjab, Amarinder Singh said the move obstructed the movement of essential supplies not just in Punjab, facing a shortage of coal and power, storage for foodgrains and fertilisers but also to other states, including the armed forces at Ladakh and Kashmir.
–IANS
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