Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi: Train services to various locations in Haryana have been affected by the Bharat Bandh call given for Monday by agitators to protest against the Modi government’s new recruitment policy for armed forces. Amidst widespread protests in the country against the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’, an army recruitment scheme, and calls for Bharat Bandh on Monday several state governments have tightened security. Trains connecting Delhi with Haryana towns such as Rohtak, Jind, Hisar, Kurukshetra, Rewari, Palwal and Narwana have been cancelled in view of the protests. Parts of Delhi witnessed traffic jams on Monday as the traffic police closed off several roads ahead of the Congress’s protest against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme and “vendetta politics” in targeting Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald money-laundering case and will appear before the agency for the fourth time on Monday.
Massive traffic jams were witnessed at Delhi-Noida-Delhi flyway, Meerut Expressway, Anand Vihar, Sarai Kale Khan, Pragati Maidan and other parts of Delhi.
Some commuters took to Twitter to share their plight.
While one commuter said he had been stuck in traffic for almost 30 minutes and was running late for office, another asked people to avoid the Anand Vihar-Sarai Kale Khan stretch.
The Delhi Traffic police, however, said their teams had been deployed at various spots to ensure smooth flow of traffic.
In a series of tweets, the traffic police informed commuters about road closures.
Due to special traffic arrangements, inward movement of buses would be restricted in New Delhi beyond Gol Dak Khana Junction, Patel Chowk, Windsor Place, Teen Murti Chowk and Prithviraj Road, it said.
“Kindly avoid Gol Methi junction, Tughlak Road Junction, Claridges Junction, Q-point Junction, Sunehri Masjid Junction, Maulana Azad Road Junction & Man Singh Road Junction between 0800 hrs & 1200 hrs. Due to special arrangements there will be heavy traffic movement on these roads,” it added.
The traffic police also advised commuters to avoid Motilal Nehru Marg, Akbar Road, Janpath and Man Singh Road between 8 am and noon.
The ED probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.
The newspaper is published by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Private Limited.
The Congress, which has accused the Centre of targeting opposition leaders by misusing investigative agencies, has announced that it will hold peaceful protests on Monday against Gandhi’s questioning by the ED.
The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, provides for the recruitment of youths in the age bracket of 17-and-a-half to 21 in the armed forces for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. Later, the government extended the upper age limit to 23 for recruitment in 2022.
The Congress claims the scheme is “anti-youth” and will “destroy” the Army.
Trains connecting Delhi with Rohtak (train nos. 04462, 04454, 04461, 04453), with Jind (train no. 04424), with Panipat (train nos. 04454 and 04127), with Kurukshetra (train nos. 04406 and 04178), with Hisar (train nos. 04090 and 04089), with Rewari (train nos. 04990, 04434, 04433, 04989), with Narwana (train no. 04425), with Palwal (train no. 04438) are among the trains cancelled in view of the Bharat Bandh call.
Service between Narwana and Jind (train no. 04426) and Palwal and Ghaziabad (train no. 04912) have been cancelled.
The 22356 Chandigarh-Pataliputra Express, too, has been cancelled.
An Indian Railways communique said a total of 539 trains had been affected across the country by the ongoing agitation.
The communiqué added that 181 long-distance trains of mail/express category and 348 passenger trains had been cancelled. In addition, four mail/express trains and six passenger trains have been partially cancelled.
