Chandigarh, July 21: Traffic along the National Highway and the Chandigarh-Rajpura route faced severe disruption as security forces placed cemented blocks and barricades across the Ghaggar River bridge at the Shambhu interstate boundary. The measures were implemented as hundreds of farmers from Punjab embarked on a convoy toward Delhi to participate in a planned Kisan Mahapanchayat at Kisan Ghat, organized to register opposition against a proposed India-US trade agreement.
The journey originated at Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, where more than 1,000 participants stayed overnight before assembling the convoy on the GT Road near Madhopur. Commuters faced extensive delays as entry from the Punjab side was halted, prompting local police to redirect vehicles away from blocked segments of the highway.
Criticizing the sudden closure, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) spokesperson Tejveer Singh maintained that public movement was compromised without advance notice.
“The Haryana government has sealed the entry for everyone and is not allowing any vehicles from the Punjab side,” Tejveer Singh stated. “The interstate border has been closed without any prior information, causing inconvenience to commuters and stopping farmers from raising their genuine demands.”
Tejveer Singh further declared that security structures were erected within Punjab territory, urging state officials to clarify their administrative stance on the border restrictions. Local police representatives confirmed active traffic diversions along the highway while monitoring the ongoing gathering near the boundary line.
