"If We Had Rs 7 Lakh, Would We Be Drivers?": Truckers' Protest Near Delhi
NDTV
The law, which has received the President's assent after clearing Parliament, has sparked widespread protests by truck drivers.
Truck drivers and cab operators across the country are protesting against the provisions covering hit-and-run cases in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that is set to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code. Under the new law, hit-and-run cases can attract up to 10 years in jail and a fine of Rs 7 lakh if the driver flees the accident spot and does not inform cops. Currently, hit-and-run accidents are covered by IPC's Section 304A and attracts a jail term that may extend to two years and an unspecified fine or both.
The law, which has received the President's assent after clearing Parliament, has sparked widespread protests by truck drivers. The protests have hit fuel supply lines in some areas. Several other places are witnessing panic buying of fuel as people fear it may run out.
At Ghaziabad today, protesters stopped auto-rickshaws and tractors and asked them to turn around. In one of the videos, they were seen stopping a pick-up van and putting a garland of shoes around the driver's neck. They were heard asking why he is driving and not protesting against the law that will "not even spare Rs 10 for tea".
