Farm leaders detained in Mohali as police clear Shambhu border protest site

Several farmer leaders were detained in Punjab's Mohali on their way to the Shambhu border protest site, following a clash with security forces.

The detentions came after a meeting between farm representatives and a central delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Prominent farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, were taken into custody by the Punjab police while traveling to the protest site. Meanwhile, authorities also cleared the Punjab-Haryana borders at Shambhu and Khanauri, dismantling temporary structures set up by the farmers. A significant number of protesters were detained from these locations as well.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema defended the action, stating that the government aimed to reopen the borders.

"The farmers' demands are directed at the central government, and their protests should be held in Delhi or elsewhere, rather than blocking roads within Punjab," Cheema said.

The detentions triggered strong political reactions, with Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi condemning the move as an "attack on the farm sector."

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Singh Cheema also criticized the arrests, calling them "undemocratic and a betrayal of farm leaders." He questioned Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's role in the decision and accused his government of colluding with the central administration.

"This exposes that the Union government and the Bhagwant Mann government are working together. We demand the immediate release of all detained farm leaders," Cheema stated.

The meeting between the farmers and the central delegation, led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, failed to produce a resolution. However, Chouhan described the discussions as taking place in a "very positive environment."