India, Sept. 17 -- Agitating farmers and farm labourers under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) laid siege to rail tracks in Punjab on Thursday after the noon deadline for state government action on their demands ended.

The main disruptions hit the vital Amritsar-New Delhi track at Devidaspura village and the Ferozepur-Moga-Ludhiana line at Maheshari Sandhuan, forcing authorities to re-route long-distance services. Responding to the KMM call, farmers associated with BKU Ekta Azad also blocked the Ludhiana-Hisar track in Sangrur, prompting the deployment of a heavy police force to the site.

The escalation followed a last-minute failure of high-level negotiations in Amritsar between union representatives led by Sarwan Singh Pan...