139 trains affected as farmers refuse to budge from tracks
Delhi-Katra and Delhi-Amritsar Vande Bharat were re-routed while Amritsar Shatabdi, Shan-e-Punjab were also affected
Govts of Punjab and Haryana are to be blamed for the predicament of the commuters A FARMER LEADER
Rail traffic remained affected in the Ambala railway division as hundreds of protesting farmers of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and SKM (nonpolitical) continued their sit-in on the tracks at Shambhu railway station for the second consecutive day on Thursday.
The protest disrupted the movement of trains in the region, with nearly 139 trains, including Vande Bharat, DelhiAmritsar Shatabdi and Shan-ePunjab Express, either diverted, short-terminated or cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers in the lurch. Of the total trains affected, 61 were passenger trains were cancelled, while 14 were short-terminated or shortoriginated.
According to the Northern railway officials, re-routed
trains includes Delhi-Katra and Delhi-Amritsar Vande Bharat. The railways officials said that trains had to be diverted, either via Dhuri and Jakhal or Chandigarh-Sahenwal route, thereby making the journey longer than usual.
Protesting farmers are demanding the release of three
farmers who had been arrested by the Haryana police.
Three farmers, including Navdeep Jalbera, Gurkirat Shahpur and Anish Khatkar, were arrested during the ongoing farmers’ stir.
Navdeep and Gurkirat were arrested on February 28 near Mohali international airport,
while Anish Khatkar was arrested on March 19 by Haryana Police in a murder bid case registered on February 13 relating to ongoing farmers’ agitation on the Haryana-Punjab border. Farmer leaders claim that Khatkar had been on hunger strike since his arrest, and his health was deteriorating with each passing day.
Farm leaders, while speaking to HT, said it’s no fault of theirs. “State governments of Punjab and Haryana are to be blamed for the predicament of the commuters. We had already informed the authority regarding the rail roko,” the Union leaders said.
Ramandeep Singh Mann, a member of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, said, “We have been compelled to start the stir as both the state governments of Punjab and Haryana did not fulfil our demands despite assurance.”
Farmer leader Tejvir Singh said that rail roko was only meant for the release of three farm activists who have been implicated in a false case. “Our protest at the Shambhu border is still on. This rail roko will continue till the farm activists are released,” he said.