Farmers continue to block Delhi-Chandigarh highway; traffic diversions in place

The farmers have been seeking minimum support price for the sunflower crop and the release of several farmer leaders, who have been arrested.

Farmers are gathered at Haryana's Kurukshetra over their demand for Minimum Support Price (ANI)

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The Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar highway continued to remain blocked overnight on Monday as protesting farmers refused to remove their tractor-trolleys from the highway near Pipli in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district. The farmers are seeking minimum support price (MSP) for the sunflower crop and the release of several farmer leaders, who have been arrested.

With the farmers set to hold another panchayat Tuesday morning in Kurukshetra to decide their future course of action, the police have begun diverting traffic.

Traffic coming from Delhi towards Chandigarh and Amritsar has been diverted from Kurukshetra’s Sector 2-3 crossing towards Brahmsarovar to Kurukshetra University’s third gate and via National Highway 152-D. Another alternative route from Kurukshetra has been diverted from below the Umri Chowk bridge via Umri-Indri-Ladwa on the Yamunanagar-Haridwar-Saharanpur highway.

Also Read | MSP for sunflower: Farmers block NH-44 in Kurukshetra again, Bajrang Punia extends support

The traffic going towards Delhi from Chandigarh has been diverted from the Ambala-Saha crossing towards Dosadka, Adhoya and Ladwa villages, getting back on National Highway 44 in Karnal. The traffic going towards Delhi has also been diverted from Ambala to Kaithal Road and via Shahbad towards Thol village on National Highway 152-D.

Thousands of vehicles, including trucks carrying perishable goods, continue to remain stranded on the highway as commuters face a harrowing time since Monday afternoon due to the sudden blockade of the national highway in Kurukshetra. The farmers have been blocking NH-44 since 2 pm Monday. The farmers are seeking MSP for sunflower and the release of farmer leaders, including Gurnam Singh Chaduni and others.

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The leaders were arrested on June 6 after the police used force to disperse the protesting farmers on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which was hearing a petition seeking the removal of the national highway blockade.

Several rounds of talks between the farmers and the Kurukshetra district administration failed Monday as the farmers stuck to their demands. The farmer unions have also given a call for a bandh in Haryana on June 14.

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