SOME trains on the DelhiAmritsar route were diverted on Thursday after farmers squatted on tracks at many places in Punjab over the Haryana Police’s action against ‘Delhi Chalo’ protesters. Farmers also staged dharnas at several toll plazas and forced authorities to not charge the commuters a toll fee. Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and BKU Dakunda (Dhaner) had given the call for a four-hour ‘rail roko’ protest at several places in Punjab. Farmers began their stir around 12 pm by squatting on rail tracks at several places.

 

The demonstrations are likely to continue till 4 pm. As farmers are sitting on the railway tracks at several places on the main Delhi- Amritsar route, railway authorities diverted the routes of the trains via Chandigarh (for Delhi side) and Lohian Khas (for AmritsarandJalandharside). A spokesperson of Indian Railways said Shatabdi and Shan-e-Punjab Express trains coming from Delhi were terminated at the Ludhiana railway station. Meanwhile, on the call of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, farmers also staged demonstrations at several toll plazas to protest against the use of tear gas by Haryana Police when farmers demanding minimum support price were marching towards national capital on Tuesday.Theyalsoforcedthe toll authorities to let go the commuters without charging them a toll fee.

 

3UNIONMINISTERSHOLD TALKSWITH FARM UNION LEADERS: Three Union Ministers held a third round of talks with the leaders of protesting farmer unions in Chandigarh on Thursday, amida standoffbetweenthe protesters and security personnel at two points on the Punjab-Haryana border. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also joined themeetingattheMahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26 here. Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce andIndustryMinisterPiyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai represented the Centre at the meeting. The talks were underway till late at night.