Stepping up their agitation against the three farm laws, farmers affiliated to different unions on Saturday staged a sit-in at several toll plazas on national and state highways in Haryana, and stopped the authorities from collecting fees from commuters.
Agitating farmers squatted on the road at toll-plazas and shouted slogans against the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of implementing “anti-farmer” policies.
A large number of police personnel were also deployed by Haryana Police at toll plazas to maintain law and order.
The agitating farmers had earlier said they would picket toll plazas to press their demand for a repeal of the three new laws, which were voted through in Parliament in September amid strong protests by opposition parties.
More than 100 farmers led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leaders Malkit Singh and Manish Chaudhry gathered at a toll plaza on the Ambala-Hisar highway, around 15 kilometers from Ambala city. The BKU activists raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of the farm laws. The toll plaza employees allowed vehicles to pass through without paying any charge.
The farmers also did not allow the collection of fees from commuters at Bastara and Peont toll plazas in Karnal.
Moreover, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is suffering a loss of Rs 3 crore per day on account of farmers' protest at toll plazas in the state.
Notably, farmers from different parts of the country, including Haryana and Punjab, have been camping at various border points of Delhi for two weeks to demand a repeal of three farm laws. They have rejected a government offer to amend the farm laws and give a "written assurance" on continuing the MSP system.