Farmers to protest outside DC offices in Punjab, Haryana
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Chandigarh: The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) have announced a protest outside the offices of Deputy Commissioners (DC) across Punjab and Haryana, following the detention of farmer leaders and the eviction of protestors from key border sites.
Among those detained were prominent leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who were apprehended while returning from a meeting with a Central delegation. Simultaneously, farmers staging a sit-in protest for over a year at two crucial borders connecting Punjab and Haryana were forcibly removed, and their temporary structures dismantled.
In response, detained farmers launched a hunger strike on Wednesday, protesting their arrest and eviction. Authorities have imposed preventive measures, including suspending Internet services in Sangrur and Patiala districts. Security has been tightened at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders, where police cleared the protest sites.
Condemning the government's actions, Satnam Singh Pannu of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee declared, “Today, we will demonstrate outside the DC offices in Punjab and Haryana against the atrocities committed against farmers.” He accused the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of acting on behalf of or under the directives of the Modi government, warning, “Both governments will have to pay a heavy price for this.”
Further escalating their agitation, some farmer leaders announced a statewide road blockade in Punjab. Gurdeep Singh, spokesperson for SKM (Non-Political), confirmed that detained leaders had begun a hunger strike in custody.
Defending the government’s actions, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema stated that the eviction was necessary for economic progress. “Fighting unemployment is equally important,” he said. Before the police operation, AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang had advocated for a constructive and collaborative approach to resolving farmers’ concerns.
He pointed out that Punjab’s borders had remained blocked for over a year, leading to economic setbacks, reduced investments, and a decline in religious tourism. “The closure of borders, particularly at Shambhu, has resulted in significant economic hardships. Fewer devotees are visiting sacred sites like Darbar Sahib. Additionally, the lack of investment is hampering industrial growth and employment generation, which is critical in addressing Punjab’s unemployment crisis and its link to drug abuse,” he emphasized.
With IANS inputs