Ambala: The 7th round of talks took place between farmer leaders and the central government on Wednesday in which Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan was also present on behalf of the government delegation. Farmer leaders were returning after talking to the minister and other members of delegation, when the Punjab Police took them into custody which includes several other farmer leaders including Sarwan Singh Pandher, Abhimanyu Kohad, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Sukhwinder Kaur, Kaka Singh Kotra and Manjit Rai. Meanwhile, internet service has been shut down in the areas around Shambhu and Khanauri border with immediate effect along with the deployment of heavy police force, Punjab Police used bulldozers to remove the temporary shelters built by farmers on the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border near Ambala where the farmers were sitting on a dharna in support of their demands since last many months causing not only lot of inconvenience to the passengers travelling on this busy highway but also suffering loss worth hundreds crores to those involved in trade and industry in Punjab as well as Haryana and the government.
Many farmer leaders returning after talks with the central government delegation were detained by the Punjab Police, the internet services was shut shut down in the areas around Shambhu and Khanauri border, the protesting farmers were removed from the border by huge police forces deployed by the government, which immediately started demolishing the tents set up by the protesting farmers at Shambhu border using bulldozers. The protesting farmers were also forcibly removed from the border. Punjab Police took the detained farmers to Bahadurgarh Commando Police Training Center. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher and others were also detained. The shed in which the farmer leaders used to hold their meetings and the stage was also demolished using a JCB and Shambhu border was completely vacated by police force. After this action by the police, the belongings of the farmers are lying here and there on the border. DIG Harmanbir Singh Gill reached the spot and while talking to media persons present there said that protests cannot be held by blocking roads, causing sufferings to people for months in this manner. The Punjab government sympathizes with the farmers but farmers cannot sit blocking highways in the name of protests like this for an indefinite period. He said, because of this, the nearby industries are suffering huge losses. The local residents residing on both sides of the border have been facing a lot of problems for a long time.
Patiala SSP said, in the presence of the magistrate the police cleared the area after giving warning to protesting farmers for a long time . He said some people who expressed their desire to go home were sent by bus. Sources reveal, Haryana Police will also start its action from their side as soon as the way is completely opened from the Punjab side, enabling it to resume movement on the highway. According to Haryana police officers, they did not need to use any kind of force because there was no protest on the Haryana side. Information reveals, around 300 farmer leaders and protesting farmers have been detained from Khanauri border too. There too, the work of removing the temporary platforms, sheds built for stay and tractor trolleys built by the farmers was going on. Information also reveals the protesting farmer groups have closed the Manawala toll plaza, saying that this protest will continue until our leaders are released. According to protesting farmers leaders the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was formed with the votes of farmers, now the AAP government will fall with the votes of farmers.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders made serious allegations on this unexpected action. Former Chief Minister of Punjab and Congress MP from Jalandhar Charanjit Singh Channi has said, Bhagwant Mann went to Delhi, there he met Home Minister Amit Shah, where a big conspiracy has been hatched to end the farmers’ movement in Punjab. In a statement to media Channi said, all the big farmer leaders of Punjab have been detained, tear gas, water cannons and heavy police force have been deployed on the borders. Raising a question over the incident Channi said how Bhagwant Mann became a victim of the conspiracy of the central government and took such a big action against the farmers in Punjab. Meanwhile, Punjab Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Saundh justified the police action on the farmers and said that Punjab as well as other neighboring states in North has already suffered heavy losses due to the closure of the highway. It is important for the highway to remain open for business and employment. He said that the Punjab government has always supported farmers in the state.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait has also severely reacted to this, saying in the ongoing agitation on the border of Punjab, on one hand the government is negotiating with the farmer organizations whereas on the other hand it is arresting them. He strongly condemned the action of the Punjab government and said all farmer organizations are ready for every struggle in support of farmers in Punjab. Congress President in Punjab and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh, too, blamed the Punjab government for isolating the farmers so that they end their protest. “It is a big betrayal of the farmers that on one hand the Central Government talks to them and invites them for the next talks on 4 May, but as soon as the farmers come out of the meeting, the Punjab Police arrest them forcibly ending the farmers’ protest.
