Several trains affected in Punjab as farmers squat on tracks

Chandigarh, April 17 (IANS) Farmers on Wednesday squatted on railway tracks at the Shambhu railway station in Punjab, hampering the movement of at least 35 trains.

The farmers have kept the national highway at the interstate border blocked near Shambhu to mark protest over the demands, including a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) by the Centre, since February 13.

As the protesters were moving ahead to block the railway tracks, the police tried to stop them, which led to a scuffle between them. After breaking barricades, they sat on the track.

The farmers have also been demanding the release of three arrested farmers.

A day earlier, the arrested Navdeep Jalbera’s father Jai Singh called on people to reach in maximum numbers to block the railway tracks to pressurise the government to release “unlawfully detained innocent farmer youths”.

Shambhu is the gateway to Punjab from the national capital via Haryana.