Punjab Police’s stern measures stall farmers’ Chandigarh protest

Chandigarh: Heavy deployment of police, multiple barricading, numerous checkpoints and detention of protesting farmers by the Punjab Police stalled the ‘Chandigarh Chalo’ protest march announced by farmer leaders on Wednesday.

Police was deployed at various entry points to the capital to prevent farmers from entering Chandigarh, which led to dharnas at more than 25 locations across the state.

Following the stern action, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has cancelled the decision to hold a march towards Chandigarh. The decision was taken in a meeting between farmers and officials.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) leader Jhanda Singh Jethuke said that farmers, led by SKM leader Manjit Singh Dhaner, held a meeting with police officers, during which it was decided that the march will not be held for the time being.

Also, it was decided that those who are detained in police stations will be released on the priority basis, he said, adding that the process for the release of farmer leaders who have been sent to jail is underway.

Farmer leader Harmeet Singh Qadian said that the decision taken by any one leader will not be final. The situation will be completely clear only after talks with all the farmer leaders.

Earlier in Mohali, 100 farmers from Ropar district were detained by the police while 15 of their tractor-trolleys were seized. Farmers taking part in the protest have painted the number plates of their tractors so that they cannot be identified by CCTV cameras.

BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) President Joginder Singh Ugrahan urged the agitating farmers to sit on the empty space on the roadside wherever the police stop them. He said that the Punjab Police are “plotting to defame the farmers”.

Apart from Ugrahan, those detained include Mukesh Chander Sharma, state vice-president of BKU Rajewal and Buta Singh Shadipur, president of BKU Shadipur.

Meanwhile, Punjab Police detained three youths armed with weapons at Chandigarh-Mohali border. The youth, who did not have the license of the weapons, claimed that they were security personnel of a builder. At present, the police are interrogating them.

Farmers had announced a protest in Chandigarh, demanding a decision on issues related to legal guarantee of MSP. A decision was taken in this regard on February 26 in a meeting of SKM.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann lashed out at farmer bodies for resorting to protests every other day and accused them of turning Punjab into a “state of dharnas” and causing a huge loss to it.