Locals of Panipat petition the Delhi High Court to overturn the Singhu border blockage

Three Panipat residents, infuriated by the more than two-month-long blockage on the Singhu border, have filed a writ suit in the Delhi High Court against the Delhi Government and the Center. The petitioners asked the petitioners asked the High Court to remove the heavy barricade at the Singhu border (NH-44).

The three petitioners, Shankar Mor of Lateef Garden, Sachin Aneja of Aggarsain Colony, and Shivam Dhamija of Rair Kalan, filed a writ petition through their advocates, Sachin Miglani, Mohit Gupta, and others. They claimed that the farmers had planned a protest march to Delhi on February 13 following the failure of talks between their organizations and the Union Government. The Centre and the Delhi Government had put in place a number of security measures, including large roadblocks and barricades at the Singhu border between Haryana and Delhi, to prevent the farmers from traveling to Delhi.

The petitioners claimed that no other routes for secure and easy transit had been provided or made possible by the border blockade. As a result, those commuting from Delhi to Haryana or the other way around had to pass through adjacent villages on supplementary and capillary routes. Driving on these roads was very risky since the majority of them were damaged.

They added that even after more than two months, the responders had still stopped the road at the Singhu border, creating severe traffic congestion that greatly annoys the general population.

Among the most negatively impacted passengers were those from Haryana who were going to Delhi for medical care. The petitioners had to go to Panipat for business and employment, but they were never able to get there in time because of the regular traffic jams and road obstruction. They were employed in Delhi and Gurugram.

According to Miglani, a follow-up hearing has been scheduled on April 22.

Police in Delhi start taking down barriers.

Using JCB equipment, the Delhi Police started dismantling barriers on the major flyover at the Singhu border on Thursday. In response to the farmers’ protest on February 13, it installed multi-layer barricading on the Singhu border and service lanes on NH-44 and sealed it using concrete blocks and soil-filled containers. On February 26, the Delhi Police opened the flyover’s service lanes, however commuters had to deal with severe traffic congestion on both lanes. The opening of the border was demanded by the populace.