Farmers block highways in Jind

ROHTAK: Hundreds of farmers, along with representatives of multiple Khaps, blocked the Patiala-Jind and ChandigarhHisar highways in Jind on Tuesday to protest against the Haryana government’s decision to extend the ban on internet services in seven districts till February 3.

Commuters faced problems and police had to divert the route on the Chandigarh-Hisar and Patiala-Jind highways till the filing of this report. A day earlier, residents of Kandela village had blocked the Chandigarh-Jind highway against the extension of internet ban in Haryana’s seven districts.

Farm leader Azad Palwan said that farmers, Khaps and other sections of the society have jointly blocked both the national highways in Jind to register their protest against the internet ban.

“All works were stopped after government imposed a ban on internet services for the last four days in district. Earlier, government used to snap internet services to stop spread of misinformation, but the BJP government is now banning internet services to stop spread of truth to the masses. The government closed internet services in our area by considering us as terrorists, infiltrators and anti-nationals,” he added.

Rampal Singh, a farmer, said they will open the blockade on both highways after government restores internet services.

Instead of taking such steps on the line of actual control (LAC), government has created an international border line with the protesting farmers at three sites on Delhi’s entry points,” he added.

Abhay Chautala slams govt over internet ban

Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) general secretary Abhay Singh Chautala, who had resigned as an MLA from Ellenabad in support of the agitating farmers against the Centre’s three farm laws, said that there is no emergency situation in state that led to disconnection of internet services.