Toll-free movement of vehicles witnessed on Day 2 of protest in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 18

Continuing with their protest against the government for using force on agitating farmers, farmers associated with the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugraha) kept the toll plazas in the district free for the commuters for the second consecutive day here on Sunday.

The farmers ensured the passage of commuters’ vehicles without paying toll fees at the Kathunangal toll plaza on the Amritsar-Gurdaspur National Highway, the Chiddan toll plaza on Amritsar-Attari National Highway and the Mananwala toll plaza on Amritsar-Jalandhar National Highway.

Lakhwinder Singh Manjiawali, president of the Gurdaspur BKU (U), said, “The farmers have made 22 toll plazas across 13 districts of the state free for commuters as part of the protest.” He said the protest would continue till the times the government accepts the farmers’ demands.”

The farmers’ leaders stated that the union would wait for the outcome of the meeting of the leaders with the representatives of the Central Government before announcing the next action plan. They stated that the protest at toll plazas would continue till the announcement of the next programme by the senior leadership.

Kashmir Singh Dhangai, district president (Amritsar), said, “Use of teargas shells and rubber bullets on the farmers holding protest peacefully is unlawful. We condemn the violence and demand from the government to fulfill the demands which it has accepted at the time of previous Delhi agitation.” He said the government has kept Ajay Mishra Tenny, Minister of State for Home Affairs, in the Union Cabinet even as his role in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence was allegedly clear.

The farmers’ leaders stated that the absence of MSP on various crops has pushed the farmers into a debt trap as the input costs have exceeded the output price. They stated that farmers and farm workers are greatly affected by the institutional and non-institutional debt which is also forcing them to commit suicide.

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