Supporters of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) escalated the farmers’ agitation and blocked National Highway-9 near the UP Gate on Thursday morning. The move has resulted in the blockage and disruption of traffic from Ghaziabad to Delhi.
The BKU has been part of the ongoing protest against agricultural laws that seek to liberalize agricultural trade in the country. The protesters had been camping under the UP Gate overpass since Saturday, but did not block roads or highways until this morning. On Wednesday, they had announced that they would hold a mahapanchayat this afternoon and said thousands more will join them, likely to arrive with their leader Naresh Tikait.
“Farmers who were organizing protests under the UP Gate overpass have so far entered the highway and blocked traffic from Ghaziabad to Delhi. Our officers are in talks with them to clear the area from the road. Traffic from Delhi to Ghaziabad is normal, ”said Ajay Shankar Pandey, a district magistrate.
The NH-9 is also used by long-distance travelers to travel to cities such as Hapur, Moradabad, and Lucknow, among others. The UP Gate flyover on NH-9 is used by thousands of commuters every day from Ghaziabad and Noida to move to Delhi. The area under the overpass has already been blocked for traffic since last Saturday in the wake of the protest.
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“There has been a movement of hundreds of farmers who have come for the mahapanchayat at the UP Gate. Some have blocked the road and we are trying to make sure there are no inconveniences for travelers. On the other hand, farmers have their demands that have been presented to the government, but there is still no resolution, ”said Rajbir Singh, state vice president of the BKU.
Ghaziabad Traffic Police officers said that in the wake of blocking one side of the UP Gate overpass, they have asked travelers to divert to the internal roads of Ghaziabad and Noida. “The protesters have blocked the road from Ghaziabad to Delhi as traffic continues on the other side. Authorities are trying to convince farmers to get off the road. In the meantime, we have asked our officers to divert traffic to the main roads in Ghaziabad and Noida so there are no jams at the UP gate, ”said Ramanand Kushwaha, superintendent of police (traffic).
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