'Chakka Jam' hits traffic on many highways

Farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan blocked highways with tractor-trolleys and squatted on key roads on Saturday, while scattered protests were held in other states during a three-hour 'chakka jam' called by agitating farmer unions which are demanding scrapping of the Centre's new agri laws. Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait declared that their protest on Delhi's outskirts will continue till October 2 and farmers will return home only after the government repeals the contentious legislations and make a law ensuring legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP). "There will be no compromise on this," he said and asserted that the agitation was for the whole country and not one state. No untoward incident was reported in any part of the country during Saturday's protests though scores of people were detained in several states, including 50 at Shaheedi Park in the national capital which was brought under a thick security blanket in light of the violence during the farmers' tractor parade on January 26. (PTI)