New Delhi, Sep 17 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) staged a protest here on Friday against the new farm laws with party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, along with former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur and others, courting arrest.
An Akali Dal functionary told UNI the Badals courted arrest at the Parliament Street police station along with at least 15 other leaders of the party. They were later released by the police.
Sukhbir Singh Badal called the protest successful.
"The protest was successful...We will not allow the new farm laws to be implemented in Punjab," he told media after coming out of the police station.
SAD had announced it would observe a 'Black Friday' and march from the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj to Parliament to denounce the three farm laws passed by the government last year.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were imposed in parts of Delhi and several roads and metro stations were shut in view of the protest. Traffic Police issued alerts, asking people to avoid the Jharoda Kalan area at the Delhi-Haryana border, and also the area around Gurudwara Rakabgunj, which is less than a kilometer away from Parliament.
Areas around Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, Delhi GPO, Ashoka Road and Baba Kharak Singh Marg were barricaded to stop protesters from gathering. There were long traffic jams on several roads due to the restrictions.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation closed two stations near Haryana border -- Pandit Shree Ram Sharma and Bahadurgarh City -- which fall along the Green Line of the network. These stations were shut at around 9:30 am to prevent the protesters from entering Delhi.
SAD had tweeted on Thursday night about being stopped at Delhi borders.
"All Delhi borders have been sealed and Punjab vehicles are being stopped. While all others pass, Punjabis are being told that our entry has been restricted. Our peaceful voices have seemingly scared the powers that be," it said.
UNI AO CM DS SC