KEY STORY
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Chandigarh: The Haryana police has issued a travel advisory, asking commuters to avoid certain national highways along the state border with Punjab and Delhi for three days, starting tomorrow, in view of the ‘Dilli Chalo’ farmers’ protest on November 26 and 27.
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Road blockades have been put in place in keeping with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattra’s directive to ensure “law and order” because of the farmers’ march, the Haryana Police said.
“A specific call has been given by protesting (farmers’) organisations to gather in Ambala, Bhiwani, Karnal, Bahadurgarh, Jhajjar and Sonipat (before heading to Delhi)… blockades will be created to ensure law and order… all citizens are being informed so they can plan and modify their journey to avoid any inconvenience,” the Haryana Police statement read.
“Blockades or diversions would be created at various road entry points from Punjab into Haryana; at four major National Highways leading towards Delhi – from Ambala, Hisar, Rewari and Palwal – and at entry points from Haryana to Delhi,” the travel advisory states.
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Starting Wednesday, a large number of farmers from Haryana and Punjab are expected to march towards Delhi to continue their protest against the three contentious farm laws – viewed as anti-farmer – after several rounds of failed talks with representatives of the central government.
The Delhi Police has not given permission to protest in the city in view of COVID-19.
Farmer organisations from UP, Haryana, Uttarkhand, Rajasthan, Kerala & Punjab have called a march to Delhi on Nov 26 & 27. No gathering is permitted amid coronavirus.The permission has been rejected and it was communicated well in time to the organizers @CPDelhi @LtGovDelhi
— #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) November 24, 2020
United diagnosticss
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The Haryana government, too, has refused permission to farmers’ organisations to move towards Delhi.
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However, farmers have said they would move peacefully towards Delhi through five highways – Amritsar-Delhi national highway, Hisar-Delhi highway, Jaipur-Delhi highway, Bareilly-Delhi highway and Agra-Delhi highway.
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In this backdrop, there have also been reports of farmers getting detained in Haryana.
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In a live interaction on Facebook on Tuesday, activist-politician Yogendra Yadav said, “All those detained have been kept at police stations and no charges have been levelled against them. The state is resorting to a crackdown.”
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The November 26-27 Dilli Chalo protest comes close on heels of Punjab farmers calling off their weeks-long rail blockade for 15 days.
