Mainpuri, In a recent turn of events, the ongoing protest by truckers against proposed legal provisions in hit-and-run cases took a violent turn on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. Truck drivers, the majority of protestors, resorted to stone-pelting under the Karhal police station limits in Mainpuri district.
Police intervention was required to disperse the unruly crowd and restore traffic on the 302-kilometer-long expressway connecting Agra and Lucknow. Authorities denied any firing incident, asserting that the stone-pelting lasted only a few minutes and had no significant impact on traffic.
According to Vinod Kumar, the Superintendent of Police in Mainpuri, a handful of truck drivers caused a jam on Safai – Karhal bypass, prompting police to intervene. The protestors then moved towards the service road of the expressway, throwing stones and causing a temporary disruption.
Extra police forces were deployed in Mainpuri after senior officials reached the spot. The protest not only affected Agra and Aligarh divisions but also led to long queues at petrol pumps and adversely impacted the glass industry in Firozabad.
The protest stems from the truckers’ discontent with proposed changes in the Motor Vehicles Act. The All India Motor Transport Congress expressed concerns about arbitrary and unjustified amendments, urging the President of India to withhold consent.
While the strike caused disruptions, authorities assured the public that enforcement of the new laws was pending, and security measures would be in place. The situation remains tense as protestors demand clarity and express their dissatisfaction with the proposed legal provisions.
