With Haryana’s main opposition party, Indian National lok Dal (INlD) sticking to its plan to stop vehicles entering the state from neighboring Punjab on July 10 to press for their demand of construction of Sutlej Yamuna link (SYl) canal, Punjab and Haryana Police have geared up to maintain law and order situation at the border during the proposed one-day protest.
Haryana Government on Friday sent a requisition for 10 companies of paramilitary forces to the Centre to ensure elaborate security arrangement in the state on July 10.
The INlD has announced to stop vehicles entering Haryana from Punjab at all locations. leader of opposition in Haryana Assembly and INlD’s senior leader Abhay Chautala has announced that any government or private vehicle, not even a cycle would be allowed to enter Haryana from Punjab at various locations by INlD party workers to demand construction of SYl canal.
Owing to the possible showdown between party workers and the security forces at Punjab and Haryana border on July 10, the senior bureaucrats and police officers of both State Governments on Friday held a joint meeting to chalk out a strategy to maintaining law and order situation in both States.
With the police of the two states working in tandem to tackle the situation, the roads will be barricaded at the proposed protest sites. Section 144 of CrPC, prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons, too will be imposed and duty magistrates will be stationed at the protest areas.
Punjab DGP Suresh Arora and his Haryana counterpart BS Sandhu on Friday took stock of the situation arising out of INlD’s proposed protest. Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Haryana Ram Niwas was also present at the meeting.
Haryana DGP BS Sandhu, while talking to the mediapersons said that the State Government has sent a requisition for 10 companies of paramilitary forces to the Centre. The paramilitary forces would be deployed at the border areas to ensure peaceful protest by the political party, said he.
Sandhu said so far, we have received the information about the protest at five-six border locations including at Ambala, Kaithal, Jind, Dabwali.
When asked if traffic would be diverted on the routes where INlD has planned to stop the vehicles from Punjab, the DGP said that if required, traffic would be diverted at few locations.
Haryana ACS Home, Ram Niwas said that the State Government would ensure that the one-day protest ends peacefully and all precautionary measures will be taken to ensure smooth passage of traffic through Haryana.
Both the State Governments would ensure that the general public does not face any inconvenience on July 10 and traffic movement is not affected during the protest of INlD, he added.
Meetings at district level between the two states would be held on Saturday to ensure coordination between concerned Deputy Commissioners and senior police officials.
Earlier, in an attempt to mount pressure on the BJP led Central and State Governments on SYl canal issue, the INlD leaders had in February tried to march to Punjab from near Shambhu barrier on Haryana-Punjab border to undertake the digging of the SYl canal.
The “water war” announced by INlD for digging SYl on February 23 had, however ended with the arrest of around 73 INlD leaders at Shambhu barrier near Haryana’s Ambala and Punjab border. They were rounded up for violating prohibitory orders and were sent to Patiala jail in judicial custody till February 27.
At that also, Punjab and Haryana had deployed companies of paramilitary forces to ensure that the law and order is not disturbed in the two states.