SYL: INLD to stop Punjab vehicles at Shambhu barrier in July

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 29

The Indian National Lok Dal announced on Saturday that it would stop Punjab government vehicles headed toward Delhi at Shambhu barrier on July 10 to protest what it calls the Punjab government’s “stubborn stand” over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute with Haryana.

Announcing decisions taken at its state executive meeting on Saturday, the party said that its youth wing it would stop vehicles bearing Punjab registration numbers at Ambala NH1 from heading toward Delhi. While government buses and vehicles will not be allowed to proceed, private vehicles will be handed a “memorandum and a rose”, but will be allowed to travel further.

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The party has also decided to move their ‘dharnas’ from Jantar Mantar to sub-divisional levels in the state.

“Our motive behind stopping vehicles from Punjab moving towards Delhi is not to harass people, but to lodge our symbolic protest against Punjab Government’s attitude. Government vehicles, whether that of a bureaucrat or of the chief minister, will not be allowed to move, ” Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala said about resolutions passed by the party, adding that ambulance or emergency services will not be disrupted.

The leader also accused Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of letting down people of Haryana by not including opposition leaders at a meeting he held with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

INLS state president Ashok Arora said the party’s state executive has passed a resolution demanding compensation of Rs 25,000 an acre for farmers whose crop has been burnt in fire, immediate arrangement of electricity, drinking and irrigation water in places where there is acute shortage and compensation to farmers who have been forced to sell their mustard produce below MSP.