A day ahead of the protesting farmers’ planned demonstration outside the mini-secretariat in Karnal, Haryana Police on Monday advised commuters against using the Ambala-Delhi National Highway ( NH-44) and instead take alternative routes.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), law and order, Navdeep Singh Virk said the main National Highway-44 (Ambala-Delhi) may see some traffic disruptions in Karnal district due to the farmers’ agitation.

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“Therefore, the general public using NH-44 are advised to avoid journey through Karnal town or otherwise use alternate routes to go to their destination on September 7. All citizens are being informed about these arrangements in advance so that they are able to plan and modify their journey accordingly, to avoid any inconvenience,” he said.

The vehicles coming from Delhi side tomorrow (7 September) will be allowed to reach Chandigarh via Pepsi Bridge (Panipat) via Munak to Assandh and Munak to Gagsina, via Ghoghadipur to Hansi Chowk of Karnal, via Bypass Western Yamuna Canal to Karna Lake via GT Road 44.

Apart from this, light vehicles will be diverted towards Chandigarh via Madhuban, Daha, Bajida, Ghogharipur, Hansi Chowk, Bypass Yamuna Canal, Karna Lake, GT Road 44.

Virk aid coming from Chandigarh side will be diverted from Pipli Chowk (Kurukshetra) via Ladwa, Indri, Bayana, Neval, Kunjpura via Nangla Megha, Meerut via Amritpur Khurd, Kairavali and Gharaunda via GT Road 44.
Apart from this, light vehicles will be allowed from Ramba Cut Tarawadi via Ramba Chowk Indri Road via Sangoha, Ghid, Baragaon, Neval, Kunjpura via Nangla Megha, Meerut Road via Amrutpanur Khurd, Kairavali and Gharaunda via GT Road-44.

The ADGP said Haryana Police has made elaborate security arrangements in view of the call for ‘Gherao of Karnal Mini Secretariat’ given by various farmers’ organizations on 7 September.

Virk said the primary objective of these arrangements is to maintain public peace and order, prevent any kind of violence, facilitate the functioning of traffic and public transport system and to safeguard the public property across the state in general and Karnal in particular.

Meanwhile, the district administration in Karnal has issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) banning five or more people from gathering in the area on Monday. The prohibitory order comes in the wake of calls by several protesting farmer bodies about a grand panchayat to be held in Karnal followed by a mini gerao of the mini-secretariat in protest of the August 28 lathicharge on farmers.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of various farmer outfits protesting against the farm laws, has threatened to lay siege to the Karnal mini-secretariat on 7 September if its demands were not met.

The Haryana Police had lathicharged a group of farmers disrupting traffic movement on a national highway near here on August 28 while heading towards Karnal to protest against a BJP meeting. Over 10 protesters were injured. The SKM had said a murder case should be registered against IAS officer Ayush Sinha, who was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to “break heads” of protesting farmers. The SKM had also demanded that he be dismissed from service.