BKU (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni was detained as police tightened security and barricaded key entry points into Haryana to prevent the proposed Kisan Mahapanchayat in Delhi.
Punjab farmers march towards the Shambhu border before being stopped by Haryana Police, which sealed key entry points and erected barricades to prevent the Delhi-bound Kisan Mahapanchayat march on Tuesday. (Photo: IANS)
Hundreds of farmers from Punjab were stopped at the Shambhu border on Tuesday after the Haryana Police sealed the state’s entry points to prevent them from marching to Delhi for a Kisan Mahapanchayat against the proposed India-US trade deal.
The police also detained Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni and blocked major highways leading towards the national capital as part of heightened security measures.
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The protesting farmers said they were travelling peacefully in buses and private vehicles, not on tractor-trailers, to attend the gathering in Delhi. They alleged they were prevented from crossing into Haryana despite carrying no weapons.
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“We are carrying the flag of our farmers’ organisation and a stick. Why is the government feeling fearful of us? We are not carrying any weapons. Why were we stopped from moving forward? If the government stops us here, we will sit here for an indefinite sit-in protest,” a protester at the Shambhu border in Punjab’s Patiala district said.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher criticised the Haryana government for barricading the Shambhu border to stop participants from reaching Delhi.
The proposed Kisan Mahapanchayat is being organised under the banner of the Desh Bachao Morcha. Farmer leaders claim the proposed India-US trade agreement could hurt Indian agriculture by allowing cheaper agricultural imports, affecting farmers, farm labourers and the wider rural economy.
To prevent the march, Haryana deployed heavy police forces along national highways and other major roads connecting Punjab with the state. The restrictions forced many commuters to take village roads to continue their journey.
A senior Haryana Police official told IANS that adequate security arrangements had been made to prevent any untoward incident.
The Punjab-Haryana border has been fortified with barricades, boulders, sand-filled tippers, barbed wire and iron spikes, leading to long traffic jams in the area. Paramilitary personnel have also been deployed.
Police said all four entry points into Haryana have been sealed. Security has also been strengthened at the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders to prevent protesters from entering Delhi.
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