In Punjab, farmers of Punjab have taken to the streets against the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The farmers had sought a place in the ground of Sector 34 from the Chandigarh administration to protest. Farmers have not been allowed to perform at this place. After not getting permission and to stop the farmers, more than 1,900 security personnel have been deployed on the Chandigarh-Mohali border and multi-level barricading.
The United Kisan Morcha (SKM), along with 37 other farmer unions, has called for a sit -in in Chandigarh for a week from Wednesday with its demands. They are also planning to staged a sit -in outside the official residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Sector 2. Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said, “We have not given any permission to the farmers to protest in Chandigarh and will be stopped at any cost.”
According to intelligence reports, about 10,000–11,000 protesters, including 175–200 women, are expected to enter tractor-trailers, SUVs and other vehicles. The protesters are planning to gather at Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali before moving towards Chandigarh.
To stop them, the police have set up 18 major checkpoints, including Punjab’s CM’s residence, Housing Board Light Point in Manimajra, Naya Village Barrier, Mullanpur Barrier, Togan Barrier, Light Point near CAP Complex, Dhanas, Jhampur Barrier, Mohali Barrier, Sector-55/56 Deviding Road, Great Barriers, Great Barrier, Market Barrier, Matore Barrier, Jail Road Barrier, Faidan Barrier and Zirakpur Barrier are included.
Water canon, thunderbolt vehicles and fire engines are also deployed at important places. Taking precautionary measures, the Punjab government conducted raids in the morning and detained several SKM leaders, including 15 leaders of Mohali. The detained leaders include Kripal Singh Siau, District Head of the Indian Farmers Union, State leader Paramdeep Singh Baidwan and District Head of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Dakonda) Jagjit Singh Jogi Karala. Most of these were detained between 3 am and 6 am on Tuesday.
Farmer leaders condemned the government’s action, calling it an attack on democracy. Meanwhile, the Mohali Bar Association lawyers stopped work after the farmer leader and advocate Jaspal Singh Duppar was detained. The conversation between the Punjab government and the SKM leaders broke in the middle on Monday to discuss the demands of the farmers, the farmer leaders claimed that “anger” the value “went out of the meeting without any provocation”.
In September last year, BKU (Ekta-Grahahan) staged a five-day protest in Sector 34-B, which ended after the assurance of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The unions pressured the government to share the new agricultural policy draft and include their suggestions before its final implementation.
