Rail roko: Protesting farmers shower flower petals, distribute sweets to police in UP's Ghaziabad

Members of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) on Thursday showered flower petals on police personnel and offered them sweets when the latter appealed to farmers to end their 'Rail roko' agitation on Thursday at Modinagar in Ghaziabad.

Farmers protesting against the Centre's new agricultural laws blocked tracks in several parts of the country including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajashtan and Karnataka during their agitation that started at noon today.

Utkal Express that plies from Odisha's Puri to Uttarakhand's Haridwar was stopped at Ghaziabad railway station with farmers blocking the tracks at Modinagar railway station.

Protesters were seen on railway tracks protesting against the new farm laws in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur, Palwal of Haryana, Jammu's Channi Himat area and Fatehpur Sahib of Punjab.

There were reports of a few passengers falling ill due to non-working of AC of the trains which were stopped by protesters at Jagatpur railway station in Rajasthan.

Farmers under the aegis of the United-Kissan Front demonstrated at railway track in Jammu's Channi Himat area with slogans against the newly enacted farm laws.

Farmers also protested on railway tracks in Fatehpur Sahib of Punjab.

I n the agitation staged by workers of Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) at Patna Junction railway station, a train was blocked by the agitators. Protesters were lying down on the railway tracks and they climbed up the engine of the locomotive.

Meanwhile, the Indian railways reported that, initially the train schedule was affected but in most zones there was no train stoppages.

"Rail roko agitation passed off without any untoward incident. There was negligible or minimal impact on running of the trains across the country. Train movement in all zones is normal now. Few trains were stopped in some areas but now train operation is normal," it said.

"Around 25 trains have been regulated so far. There has been minimum effect on rail services due to the agitation," Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar said.

The Railways had deployed 20 additional compes of the Railway Protection Special Force in view of the protest.

Entry and exit at four metro stations, including Tikri border, were shut by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for nearly four hours today. The Tikri Border metro station is near the site where the farmers are protesting against three new agriculture laws of the Centre.

DMRC tweeted to inform commuters about the closure of entry and exit at these four stations.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha had last week announced a nationwide to press for its demand to repeal the farm laws. Farmer unions demonstrated 'rail roko' agitation between 12 pm to 4 pm on Thursday in different parts of the country.

After the tractor rally and 'chakka jaam', 'rail roko' has been the major protest by the farmers against the three farm laws.

Farmers have been protesting at the different borders of the national capital since November last year, against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

( With inputs from ANI )