Border on alert as SYL row intensifies

CHANDIGARH: As authorities in Punjab and Haryana sealed the inter-state border, thousands of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supporters headed from Haryana’s Ambala city towards the border on Thursday afternoon to dig the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal at the party’s call.

Riding tractor-trolleys, mini trucks and other vehicles, the supporters of INLD — the opposition party in Haryana — headed towards the Shambhu border between Haryana and Punjab, about 10km from Ambala.

INLD’s Haryana unit president Ashok Arora drove one of the tractor-trolleys carrying INLD secretary general Abhay Chautala, who had given the call for the digging of the canal.

At the Shambhu barrier, the cross-border point between Punjab and Haryana, Punjab and Haryana police and paramilitary forces remained on high alert to stop the INLD supporters from entering Punjab.

Security forces donned antiriot gear and were equipped with riot-control vehicles and other equipment.

The entire stretch of NH 1 between Ambala in Haryana and Rajpura in Punjab was sealed by security forces in both the states since morning in the wake of the INLD protest.

Thousands of people faced inconvenience because the busy highway that links Delhi with Amritsar was sealed.

Traffic was diverted via other routes, a Punjab police officer said. The NH-1 is used daily by thousands of motorists to commute between Punjab and Delhi through Haryana.

“I have already walked 3km to go to Ambala. I don’t know if we will get any transport ahead,” said Surjit Kaur, who works in Ambala and travels from her village near Rajpura in Punjab.

Border areas in Ambala and Patiala districts, in Haryana and Punjab respectively, were on high alert.

“We have made adequate security arrangements. No activists will be allowed to enter Punjab,” Patiala range deputy inspector general Ashish Chaudhary said at the Shambhu barrier.