Thousands of commuters faced inconvenience on Monday as Haryana’s main opposition, Indian National Lok Dal's (INLD) activists disrupted movement of vehicles entering the state from Punjab.
This five-hour road blockade was part of INLD's 'Road Roko Aandolan' (road blockade agitation) against neighbouring Punjab's refusal to share river water with Haryana through the contentious Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.
Led by senior party leaders, INLD activists blocked roads at five pre-decided points (national highway near Ambala and four other highways) in districts bordering Punjab, including Lalru-Chandigarh road, Ambala-Shambhu border, Narwana-Dhanauri, Ratia-Budlahada road (Jakhal point) in Fathehabad district and Dabwali on Haryana-Punjab border.
Led by senior leaders, the INLD activists started their blockade at five places around 10 a.m. and continued to block the highways till 3 p.m. by squatting on roads, placing tyres and parking their own vehicles and tractors to stop vehicular movement .
"We have been patient since November 10 when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Haryana (in SYL case). Our fight is for getting water for the farmers and people of Haryana through the SYL canal," INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala told reporters in Ambala.
The police in Punjab and Haryana diverted traffic through longer routes and village roads, leading to chaos and confusion for the commuters moving from Punjab to Haryana, Delhi and beyond.
Hundreds of security personnel from central security forces and the Haryana Police were stationed at all five places along the states' border in view of the INLD protest.
Senior Haryana Police officers were stationed at the protest points since early on Monday. Security personnel in riot gear, riot-control vehicles and other equipment were deployed at all points to maintain law and order. Emergency vehicles, like ambulances, were exempted from the protest, the INLD leaders said.
The state-run Punjab buses, run by Punjab’s Pepsu Road Transport Corporation and Punjab Roadways, were not sent to Haryana and Delhi on Monday as a precautionary measure. A police officer in Ambala said that a case would be registered against the protesting INLD workers for blocking the national highway.
The Supreme Court had earlier imposed a ban on blocking of national highways."We will see the provisions and register a case against them (INLD activists) for blocking the national highway. They did not have the permission to block the highway," the police officer said.
The INLD is seeking immediate construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in Punjab to bring more water to Haryana.