tarun

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal organised a massive rally in the city on Monday in a show of strength ahead of assembly polls in Punjab next year, leading to traffic snarls in many areas.

As hundreds of vehicles - buses, trucks and small vehicles - poured into the city bringing in thousands of Akali workers for the political rally in the city's heart at Matka crossing, motorists were stuck in traffic jams for periods ranging from half-an-hour to an hour.

The worst traffic snarls took place in the city's entry point from Zirakpur (Delhi-Ambala-Patiala side) and Mohali (Ludhiana-Ropar side) from where hundreds of vehicles tried to enter the Punjab capital.

Though senior Chandigarh police officials claimed they had made all arrangements to ensure minimum inconvenience to the public in view of the rally, all arrangements went haywire.

Minor accidents were also reported from different places due to the traffic hold-up.

A student coming from Sector 35 said that he took 45 minutes to cover a three km stretch due to traffic jams. The Chandigarh police were nowhere to be seen to regulate traffic, he said.

Most of the senior police officials had stationed themselves at the rally venue.

The rally is being seen as a massive show of strength by the Akalis led by Parkash Singh Badal ahead of the February-March assembly polls in Punjab.

It is being held to "highlight the plight of farmers and the common man in Punjab under the Congress rule".

Akali leaders like Badal's son, Sukhbir Badal, claimed that over 200,000 people would come for the event.

"I have been told that scores of vehicles of our supporters are stuck in traffic jams at the entry of Chandigarh and even on highways from Patiala, Ludhiana and Ropar side," Sukhbir said at the rally venue.

I don't like rally because as simple as you think they create traffic problem...

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/a...ow/2178816.cms