Tribune News Service Jalandhar May 8 A protest against the lockdown organised by farm unions urging shopkeepers to pay two hoots to the government guidelines and come out and open their shops failed to evoke any response. Around 100 farmers including Bharatiya Kisan Union Rajewal spokesperson Kashmir Singh district president Mandeep Singh Samra and youth wing leader Amarjot Singh Jandiala led the protest. Activists came on jeeps and bikes from Noormahal and made various stopovers in markets before heading back. Farmers first halted at Jandiala. They then took Jamsher Khas-Rama Mandi-Jandu Singha-Ladowali road-Shastri Chowk-Jyoti Chowk-Nakodar Chowk-Kang Sabu before returning to Noormahal again. Heavy security force was deployed all along the route which was led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Naresh Dogra. Their biggest show of strength was at Jyoti Chowk where they halted for 20 minutes and tried to embolden shopkeepers addressing them via public address system. But shopkeepers and dealers did not come out in their support. Shopkeepers had been holding meetings with the MP MLAs and the Deputy Commissioner from the last two days who had assured them that all shops could open from Monday for a limited time from 7 am to 3 pm over which they had already expressed satisfaction. Farmers were warned by the police that they would face action for violating the Covid lockdown restrictions imposed in the state and an FIR would be registered them under Section 188 of the IPC and the Disaster Management Act.

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