Farmer leaders detained in Punjab, protesters evicted from border

Several farmer leaders including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal were detained in Mohali while returning from a meeting with a central delegation, as the Punjab police also began evicting protesting farmers from Shambhu and Khanauri border points which have been closed for more than a year.

Farmer leader Guramneet Singh Mangat said the farmer leaders were detained in Mohali while they were headed to the Shambhu protest site after the meeting with the delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema justified the eviction of farmers from the protest sites, saying industries and businesses have  been hit hard due to the prolonged closure of two highways -- "the lifelines of the state".

"The AAP is committed to youths and generating employment. They will get jobs if the trade and industry functions smoothly," he said.

BJP leader and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu strongly condemned the detention of farmer leaders and alleged the AAP government in Punjab was trying to "sabotage" talks between the Centre and farmers.

There were signs from early in the day of impending police action at the two protest sites as they witnessed heavy deployment even as the farmer leaders met the central delegation in Chandigarh.

Farmers said ambulances, buses, firefighting and anti-riot vehicles have been deployed near the protest sites.

The protesting farmers -- led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha -- have been camping at the Shambhu (Shambhu-Ambala) and Khanauri (Sangrur-Jind) border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year when their march to Delhi was thwarted by security forces.

They have been protesting in support of various demands including a legal guarantee to MSP for crops.

In Chandigarh, the fresh round of talks between farmer leaders and a central delegation to discuss various demands farmers remained inconclusive.

After the meeting that lasted for more than three hours, Agriculture Minister Chouhan said, "The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. The discussions took place in a positive and constructive manner. The talks will continue. The next meeting will take place on May 4."

Following the meeting, as the departing farmers entered Mohali from Chandigarh after, they were met with heavy barricading in Mohali.

Farmer leader Mangat said that Abhimanyu Kohar, Kaka Singh Kotra and Manjit Singh Rai were detained alongside Pandher and Dallewal.

Pandher was detained from the Zirakpur barrier and taken to the Bahadurgarh Commando Police Training Centre in Patiala. Dallewal, who was in an ambulance, was also detained.

Some farmers protested the police action and entered into a scuffle with the security personnel.

In a statement, BJP leader and Union minister Bittu said he was shocked to hear the news of Punjab Police action against farmer leaders. He said three Union ministers who attended the meeting with the farmer leaders at Chandigarh were taken by surprise when they were informed about the police action.

The police action is being seen in the context of the unease among industrialists in Punjab who have been pointing towards heavy losses they have incurred because of the closure of the Shambhu and Khanauri border points.

Cheema said, "Trade has been suffering. Considering all these situations, this action has been taken. We have been telling farmer leaders that their fight was with the Centre. You fight with the Centre. We are with you. You are causing heavy loss to Punjab by closing the border."

About 3,000 personnel, led by Deputy Inspector General of Police (Patiala Range) Mandeep Singh Sidhu, were at the Khanauri border point to evict protesters. Similarly, police personnel also reached the Shambhu border point to clear the road.

At Khanauri, Sidhu told the protesters that the government has issued directions to clear the road.

The DIG said the police consider them their elders and their own and have not come for any confrontation. But he also told them their strength of 3,000 outnumber the farmers' 200. The DIG warned the youths not to misbehave with security personnel policemen .

The police officer said that prohibitory orders, banning the assembly of five or more people, has been imposed so their gathering is illegal.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Sukhchain Singh announced on a loud speaker, asking protesters to clear the road in 10 minutes. Later, policemen detained the protesters and took them in buses stationed at the protest site.

Police personnel could be seen dismantling the stages in Shambhu and Khanauri border points. At Shambhu protest sites, police deployed JCB machines to remove the structures set up by farmers at the protest sites.

Many tractor-trolleys and other vehicles of protesting farmers could be seen standing at the road.

Earlier, farmers at the Khanauri border point held a protest against police action against farmer leaders. They raised slogans against the Punjab government.

After meeting with the central delegation in Chandigarh, farmer leader Kaka Singh Kotra said a heavy police deployment was made near the Shambhu and Khanauri border points.

Many opposition leaders lashed out at the AAP government for police action against farmers.

Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi dubbed "detention" of farmer leaders as an "attack" on the farming sector, calling the police action as unfortunate.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema strongly condemned the "detention" of farmer leaders.

"This is highly undemocratic & illogical action and amounts to betrayal with the farm leaders. After the meeting the Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan himself said that the next meeting will be on May 4.

"So Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann must explain what happened after the meeting & who gave orders to arrest the leaders immediately on the way back to their places ?

The state government has stabbed the farm leaders in the back just to please their political mentors in Delhi. By doing so the Bhagwant Mann led AAP government want to crush the farmers' agitation.

"It has exposed that Union government & Bhagwant Mann government are hand in glove with each other. The SAD demanded immediate release of all farm leaders without delay," said Cheema in a post on X.