[ad_1]
GHAZIABAD/NOIDA: A day after the Lakhimpur Kheri incident saw eight people getting killed, the aftermath was felt on Monday at UP Gate, one of the main protest sites for farmers, as police closed a part of the carriageway for traffic moving out of capital on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, leading to a gridlock in the area.
Read more stories from Lakhimpur Kheri
“We had to block it as a precautionary measure from 7am. It was lifted around 4pm,” said Ramanand Kushwaha, SP traffic, Ghaziabad.
There was heavy traffic on arterial roads, especially near Gaur Chowk in Indirapuram, canal road leading to Ghazipur and towards Vaishali. Kushwaha said traffic also moved slowly in Kaushambi but there were no jams. Delhi police had issued an advisory for Ghaziabad-bound traffic, which was diverted through Anand Vihar.
Rajeev Ranjan Raj, a commuter from Vaishali, said, “We have become used to this by now, ever since the farmer protests broke out at UP Gate. Monday was nothing unusual.”
The protest site at UP Gate, however, wore a deserted look. Less than 100 protesters were present, but a large number of cops were deployed as Ghaziabad police did not want to take a chance. There was heavy police presence at the collectorate too, where local BKU leaders marched with some opposition leaders to demand action against those involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. After a brief standoff, the cops relented and let them in.
“We wanted to tell the government that we stand united with the farmers. We have presented a memorandum of demands,” said Rajvir Singh, BKU’s district vice president who led the protesters. He added the group was ‘satisfied’ with the government’s response.
In Noida too, farmer leaders, led by BKU-apolitical spokesperson Pawan Khatana, arrived at the collectorate early Monday. Seated on tractors, they raised slogans against the state government, alleging it is trying to break the farmers’ agitation with bullets. “A probe needs to be carried out against whoever is indulging in mischief…” Khatana said. The farmers then handed over a memorandum to ADM (administration) Diwakar Singh.
GB Nagar police have deployed PAC companies around the collectorate while security has been beefed up in areas bordering Delhi and Ghaziabad, additional DCP (Greater Noida) Vishal Pandey said. Additional DCP (central Noida) Ankur Aggarwal said about 50 SP workers were detained for trying to block a road and later released.
Meanwhile, long snarls were also reported on the DND flyway during peak hours amid heavy checking of vehicles by Delhi Police. Many commuters said the barricades were “unnecessary”. Brajesh Sharma, who was travelling from Noida to Delhi, said this has become a regular feature of “harassment for the public”. DCP (traffic) Ganesh Saha said they spoke to their Delhi counterparts after they received complaints about the snarls.
Read more stories from Lakhimpur Kheri
“We had to block it as a precautionary measure from 7am. It was lifted around 4pm,” said Ramanand Kushwaha, SP traffic, Ghaziabad.
There was heavy traffic on arterial roads, especially near Gaur Chowk in Indirapuram, canal road leading to Ghazipur and towards Vaishali. Kushwaha said traffic also moved slowly in Kaushambi but there were no jams. Delhi police had issued an advisory for Ghaziabad-bound traffic, which was diverted through Anand Vihar.
Rajeev Ranjan Raj, a commuter from Vaishali, said, “We have become used to this by now, ever since the farmer protests broke out at UP Gate. Monday was nothing unusual.”
The protest site at UP Gate, however, wore a deserted look. Less than 100 protesters were present, but a large number of cops were deployed as Ghaziabad police did not want to take a chance. There was heavy police presence at the collectorate too, where local BKU leaders marched with some opposition leaders to demand action against those involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. After a brief standoff, the cops relented and let them in.
“We wanted to tell the government that we stand united with the farmers. We have presented a memorandum of demands,” said Rajvir Singh, BKU’s district vice president who led the protesters. He added the group was ‘satisfied’ with the government’s response.
In Noida too, farmer leaders, led by BKU-apolitical spokesperson Pawan Khatana, arrived at the collectorate early Monday. Seated on tractors, they raised slogans against the state government, alleging it is trying to break the farmers’ agitation with bullets. “A probe needs to be carried out against whoever is indulging in mischief…” Khatana said. The farmers then handed over a memorandum to ADM (administration) Diwakar Singh.
GB Nagar police have deployed PAC companies around the collectorate while security has been beefed up in areas bordering Delhi and Ghaziabad, additional DCP (Greater Noida) Vishal Pandey said. Additional DCP (central Noida) Ankur Aggarwal said about 50 SP workers were detained for trying to block a road and later released.
Meanwhile, long snarls were also reported on the DND flyway during peak hours amid heavy checking of vehicles by Delhi Police. Many commuters said the barricades were “unnecessary”. Brajesh Sharma, who was travelling from Noida to Delhi, said this has become a regular feature of “harassment for the public”. DCP (traffic) Ganesh Saha said they spoke to their Delhi counterparts after they received complaints about the snarls.
[ad_2]
