Shiromani Akali Dal held demonstrations near Parliament to mark their protest against the completion of a year of the enactment of the farm laws.
NEW DELHI — Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal were among several Akali leaders detained by the Delhi Police amid their protests against the three farm laws here. The leaders, however, were later set free.
SAD held demonstrations near Parliament to mark their protest against the completion of a year of the enactment of the farm laws.
Since Friday morning, hundreds of protesters, including Akali Dal leaders, marched on Delhi’s Rakabganj Road.
The leaders also addressed the workers and termed the protest as the ‘Black Friday Protest’.
The detainees were brought to the Parliament Street police station.
Although all the leaders were released after some time, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal told IANS: “We were arrested by the Delhi Police, after sometime the Magistrate released us. We have given our memorandum so that our message reaches the government.”
Another Delhi Akali Dal leader told IANS: “For the first time in history, thousands of people were protesting outside Parliament. We held a peaceful protest and respect everyone’s sentiments.
“The only demand from the government is to withdraw these laws because the farmer is not happy. Had he been happy, he would not have been sitting on the borders of Delhi for a year.”
Harsimrat Kaur thanked all the workers and also targeted the government.
“This fight of farmers will continue till three agricultural laws are not withdrawn. The government used to say ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vishwas’. They have not supported the farmers, but have betrayed the farmers.”
In view of the protests, the Delhi Police had closed the roads by putting barricades at various places.
In addition, a large number of police personnel were also deployed.
Traffic congestion at Delhi-Gurugram border
Meanwhile, heavy traffic congestion was witnessed at the Delhi-Gurugram border on Friday during the rush hours as the police beefed up security due to farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws and the Shiromani Akali Dal’s protest call.
A multi-layer barricading was placed at the border and a heavy police force, including the CRPF and RPF were deployed in the vicinity to check any untoward incident.
Police said that officials have been directed to enhance patrolling in the area.
“The Delhi Police have installed barricades due to farmers’ protest. Traffic movement at the spot was slow due to vehicle checking,” said a traffic cop of the Gurugram Police.
Sources said six buses of suspected Akali workers were stopped by the Delhi Police at the Delhi-Gurugram border on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway which led to huge traffic snarls for around 3 to 4 km from the border to Iffco Chowk.
A senior officer of the Gurugram Police, requesting anonymity, said that the Delhi Police had stopped the suspected Akali workers at the Delhi-Gurugram border on the national highway-48 which led to traffic congestion on the expressway. However, the Gurugram Police reached the spot to facilitate the traffic movement.
“The Haryana Police have no such orders to stop farmers entering Haryana. These suspected workers claimed they were going to Bangla Sahib in the national capital. They entered Gurugram through Kundali-Manesar-Palwal from Manesar and reached the Delhi-Gurugram border at around 1.00 a.m. on Friday.
Farmers had said that they would be taking out a protest march against the Centre’s three farm laws on Friday, marking the completion of one-year of the legislation being passed in Parliament.
The three agriculture laws, which the farmers have been protesting against for several months now, were passed in Parliament on September 20 last year. — IANS
