Ludhiana: If you’re travelling on the Ludhiana–Jalandhar National Highway today, be prepared for significant delays. Heavy traffic has built up near the Ladowal Toll Plaza after Sikh organisations staged a protest demanding the arrest of Chetan Sharma over allegations that he made objectionable remarks against the Sikh faith.
As part of the protest, demonstrators suspended toll collection, allowing vehicles to pass without paying toll charges. However, the agitation has severely affected traffic movement, particularly on the Ludhiana-to-Jalandhar stretch.
According to the protesting organisations, the dharna will continue until Punjab Police arrests the accused. They alleged that nearly 25 days have passed since an FIR was registered, but no arrest has been made so far.
The protest has led to long queues of vehicles stretching for nearly two kilometres. Traffic from Ludhiana towards Jalandhar is being allowed through only a single lane, resulting in major delays. Meanwhile, vehicles travelling from Jalandhar towards Ludhiana are being allowed to pass through multiple lanes without paying toll charges.
The protesters alleged that despite a serious case being registered against Sharma, the police have failed to take concrete action. They also claimed they had earlier staged a protest outside the Commissioner of Police’s office, but no effective action followed.
Police personnel from Ladowal Police Station and other units have been deployed at the toll plaza to maintain law and order, while senior officers continue to hold talks with representatives of the protesting organisations.
ADCP Ramandeep Singh Bhullar said discussions with the protesters were underway. He said the Ludhiana-to-Jalandhar carriageway on the Sutlej Bridge had been closed, with traffic from both directions being managed through a single carriageway, causing congestion. He added that the ACP (Traffic) had been instructed to prepare diversion plans if required.
The traffic disruption has left hundreds of commuters stranded on the highway. Surinder Singh, a resident of Jalandhar, told True Scoop that he had been stuck in the traffic jam for a long time and appealed to the authorities to restore normal traffic movement at the earliest. Rajinder Kumar, from Himachal Pradesh, said he was returning home after accompanying a patient for medical treatment when he got caught in the traffic congestion. Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Hoshiarpur, said the prolonged jam had disrupted the journeys of hundreds of commuters and hoped the situation would be resolved soon.