Protest forces route change of Delhi-Lahore bus

GURUGRAM: The route of the Delhi-Lahore bus service, Sada-e-Sarhad, was changed in Haryana’s Sonipat district on Tuesday due to security reasons, police said on Wednesday.

The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) bus from Lahore to Delhi was diverted “to avoid any untoward incident” in view of a protest by Bharatiya Kisan Sangh members and local residents at Rai block in Sonipat district near Delhi-Haryana border in the wake of the Pulwama attack, according to cops. “The administration decided to divert the bus after it got to know of the protest. The route was therefore diverted from Murthal to Sonipat city bypassing Rai block and then to Narela in Delhi,” sub inspector Kuldeep Deswal, station house officer of Rai police station, told TOI. “The route was, however, restored on Wednesday,” he added.

The PTDC bus usually reaches Rai around 4pm on its way to Delhi. Some 30 police personnel under the supervision of a DSP-rank officer, are part of its security team. Despite the diversions, the demonstration was held for almost an hour at Rai on Tuesday, with some protesters demanding an end to the service. Bharatiya Kisan Sangh leader Virender Badhkhalsa said, “The sentiments of people of this region were hurt by the Pakistani flag fluttering on the bus. So we decided to protest against the bus service and demanded that it should be discontinued. The plan was to show black flags to the bus. But the route of the bus was changed.”

Police said they had detained two protesters but later freed them. Tirth Rana, one of the protesters, said, “We have the right to hold protests. But cops detained some of the protesters. What kind of administration is this?”