As part of their stir against the Centre’s three agriculture laws, farmers on Saturday blocked the 136 km Kundli–Manesar–Palwal expressway in Haryana. They, however, said emergency vehicles such as ambulances were allowed to ply.
The call for a 24-hour blockade was given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the agitation.
The blockade started at 8 am and will last 24 hours till Sunday morning.
Farmers, including women, carried flags of their organisations and raised slogans against the Government.
They squatted on the expressway while slamming the central government for not repealing the farm laws.
Farmers in Sonipat and Jhajjar districts parked their tractor-trailers and other vehicles in the middle of the stretch.
In Nuh, some protesters were detained near the Rewasan toll plaza by the Haryana Police after they tried to block the road. Several commuters faced inconvenience because of the KMP Expressway blockade and cited that they were unaware of the farmers’ call for the protest. Farmers, however, said they had given their call for blockade beforehand. Because of the road blockade, long queues of vehicles, especially commercial ones, were seen.
Earlier on Friday, the Haryana Police had issued a traffic advisory, asking travellers to avoid the KMP Expressway for commuting. Traffic diversions had been planned in Sonipat, Jhajjar, Panipat, Rohtak, Palwal, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Nuh.
