Title - Cops foil rail roko bid, arrest 35 protesters,

JALANDHAR: Jalandhar (rural) police arrested 35 protesters of farmer and labourer organizations on Wednesday, as a preventive measure to foil their attempt to block the rail tracks. A joint front of 17 organizations had given a call for blockade of rail traffic for two hours on Wednesday at various places but police did not allow them to sit on the railway tracks.The activists had converged at Muthadda near Phillaur to block the Delhi-Amritsar, Jammu rail link but were not allowed to reach the spot. The protesters converged at other two places -- Dhaleta and Nakodar -- to block the rail tracks at side routes, but were prevented from reaching the railway track.Police booked 35 main leaders of these organizations under various sections of CrPC. The leaders were sent to judicial custody in the late evening.Police had also conducted raids at the residences of these leaders in the wee hours of Wednesday, but most of them had stayed away from their places as they apprehended police action.Meanwhile, leaders of these organizations have criticized the arrests. Pendu Mazdoor Union leader Kashmir Ghugshor said that the Punjab government was trying to stifle their voice when they were only demanding fulfilment of promises made to them and assistance to farmers and farm labourers.