Kisan Mahapanchayat: Delhi police issues traffic advisory for commuters; list of routes to avoid, diversions here

Commuters in Delhi may face a difficult start to the day as a demonstration scheduled at Kisan Ghat from 8.30 am is expected to cause diversions and congestion on several key stretches, prompting the Traffic Police to issue an advisory on Tuesday, PTI reported. The advisory comes as a day-long “Kisan Mahapanchayat” has been planned at Delhi’s Kisan Ghat under the banner of “Desh Bachao Morcha” against the proposed India-US trade deal.

Farmer leaders had earlier said participants from several places, including Punjab and Haryana, would take part in the Mahapanchayat, and farmers from several places in Punjab had planned to head to Delhi in buses.

Traffic advisory

Motorists have been advised to avoid Satyagrah Marg, Velodrome Road, Rajghat DTC Depot Road, Rajghat DTC Bypass Road and surrounding stretches, where traffic movement is expected to be affected due to the gathering. Commuters heading towards the airport, railway stations and adjoining areas have been urged to plan their journey and use navigation applications for real-time traffic updates.

People have also been advised to follow the directions of traffic personnel deployed on the ground, park vehicles only at designated spots and avoid roadside parking. The advisory said commuters may face inconvenience during the period of restrictions and appealed to the public to cooperate with traffic personnel and adhere to traffic rules for hassle-free movement across the city.

Furthermore, the police said diversions may be enforced on a need basis to ensure smooth traffic management and public safety. Traffic is likely to be diverted from Delhi Gate, Rajghat Crossing, Guru Nanak Chowk, Shantivan Chowk, Rajghat DTC Depot and the IP Flyover.

Haryana govt beefs up security at Shambhu Border

On Tuesday morning, Punjab farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher slammed the Haryana government for barricading the Shambhu border point to prevent farmers from heading to Delhi to participate in the Mahapanchayat. Heavy police deployment was made at the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana, with barricades erected and cemented blocks placed at the bridge over the Ghaggar river.

Speaking to reporters in Fatehgarh Sahib, Pandher alleged that this exposed the “true face” of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who frequently visits Punjab and makes tall promises to its people. He said farmers want the proposed India-US trade agreement to be completely scrapped and added that the future course of action would be decided by consulting other farmer leaders upon reaching the Shambhu border point.

The farmers’ convoy departed from Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib on Thursday morning, and more than 1,000 farmers had spent the previous night at the sarai of the gurdwara. From the gurdwara, the march reached Madhopur, near Sirhind on the GT Road, and then proceeded towards Shambhu. On Monday, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni was detained by police in Kurukshetra while heading to Delhi for the Mahapanchayat, while the outfit’s spokesperson, Prince Waraich, claimed that the Haryana Police was detaining a large number of its workers in an attempt to prevent their participation in the protest.

Why are the farmers protesting against India-US trade deal?

Farmers claimed that the proposed India-US trade deal would allow cheaper agricultural imports into India, affecting domestic farm incomes and the country’s agricultural economy. They also claimed that the proposed trade pact would adversely affect farmers, agricultural labourers, livestock rearers, small traders and micro industries, and urged the Centre to abandon it and safeguard the interests of farmers and the common people. With the Mahapanchayat set to be held at Kisan Ghat, the Delhi Traffic Police has asked commuters to plan ahead as restrictions remain in place.