A major standoff occurred at the Kashi Toll Plaza on the Meerut-Delhi Expressway, leading to significant disruptions on Thursday. Hundreds of farmers, led by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Tikait, staged a sit-in protest, accusing toll staff of misbehaviour, identity fraud, and harassment of women and children.

The protest was triggered by an incident late Wednesday night involving a senior BKU leader.

The Triggering Incident

The controversy began late Wednesday when Shani Sisaula, the District Vice-President of BKU Tikait, was returning from Delhi with his family.

The Dispute: Upon stopping at the toll, Sisaula presented his ID card and FASTag message. He alleges that staff members rejected the ID as "fake" and began misbehaving.

Harassment Allegations: Sisaula claimed that the staff mistreated not only him but also the women and children accompanying him. To prevent the situation from escalating further at that moment, Sisaula left the scene with his family.

The Protest And Disruption

In response to the incident, hundreds of farmers led by BKU District President Anurag Chaudhary arrived at the plaza on Thursday morning.

Toll-Free Lanes: The protesting farmers took control of the plaza, making lanes 8, 9 and 10 completely toll-free for passing vehicles.

Sit-in: A long traffic jam ensued as farmers staged a dharna (sit-in) at the toll gates, smoking hookahs and refusing to leave until their demands were met.

Major Allegations Against Toll Staff

During the protest, significant irregularities regarding the toll staff were brought to light by the farmers:

1. Identity Fraud

Farmers confronted a toll employee who was allegedly working under a false identity.

The employee was identified as Sanmun Khan, a Muslim youth, but was reportedly working under the Hindu name "Sumit Rana."

When farmers demanded his identification documents, he initially turned evasive. Upon insistence, his real identity was revealed.

Farmers accused this specific employee of misbehaving with farmer leaders while concealing his true identity.

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2. Misconduct with Police Personnel

The situation was further aggravated by a separate complaint from Ajit Negi, an employee of the Uttarakhand Police.

- Negi alleged that despite showing his official police identification, toll staff refused to accept it, stating that only Uttar Pradesh Police cards were valid.

- This incident further fueled the anger among the protesters regarding the arbitrary conduct of the toll staff.

Pattern Of Misconduct

- Local residents and farmers have stated that this is not an isolated event.

- There have been previous reports of extortion, assault and misbehaviour at the Kashi Toll Plaza.

- Allegations include past incidents where bouncers and staff were involved in physical altercations.

Official Stance And Current Situation

BKU District President Anurag Chaudhary issued a stern warning, stating that working under a false identity and mistreating farmers is a "failure of the system" and will not be tolerated. He declared that the protest would continue until strict action is taken against the culprits.

Current Status

A heavy police force has been deployed at the toll plaza to maintain order.

The administration is currently engaged in negotiations with the farmer leaders to resolve the standoff and clear the traffic congestion.

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