Traffic resumes at Shambhu border, Khanauri set to open; angry farmers protest

New Delhi (Ajoy Mishra): A day after Punjab Police detained protesting farmers and demolished their temporary structures, traffic resumed on the Shambhu-Ambala Highway on Thursday after more than a year, and Khanauri border point is also set to open, with Haryana Police removing roadblocks on their side of the road. The road clearance exercise continued even as angry farmers held protests at several places in Punjab including Moga, Tarn Taran, Muktsar and Faridkot against the last evening crackdown on the protesters.

A group of farmers, including women, entered into a scuffle with police personnel in Moga while on their way to hold a protest outside the deputy commissioner’s office. Meanwhile, in a statement issued in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party reaffirmed its support to farmers but emphasized the urgent need to reopen key roads to protect Punjab’s economy. The protesting farmers lashed out at the AAP government for detaining their leaders and removing protesters from the Shambhu and Khanauri border points, where they had been camping since February 13 last year after their march to Delhi was thwarted by security personnel.