20-05-2025
Farmers gherao AAP MLA Chetan Singh Jouramajra in Patiala village over tractor-trailers going missing from Shambhu protest site on Punjab-Haryana border
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Patiala: Tensions flared in Patiala district on Tuesday as angry farmers gheraoed AAP MLA
Chetan Singh Jouramajra
during his visit to villages in Samana constituency.
The confrontation stemmed from the farmers' outrage over their tractor-trolleys and belongings allegedly being stolen when police evicted them from the Shambu protest site in March.
The farmers, most of them associated with BKU (Ekta Azad), cornered Jouramajra in Bhedpur village and questioned his silence over the detention of farmers from his own constituency. "You tell me what developmental work you want me to do in my constituency. I didn't go to Shambu and don't know about it," Jouramajra told the agitated crowd.
He, however, directed local officials to investigate the matter and recover the stolen tractors at the earliest.
In a move to pacify the crowd, the MLA also promised to personally compensate one of the affected farmers from Bhedpur village by purchasing a new tractor for him. But the farmers were unconvinced, questioning why tractor-trolleys, refrigerators, and other valuable belongings to them vanished after the police crackdown.
Jaswant Singh, a functionary of BKU (Ekta Azad), said the gherao was in response to AAP govt's handling of the March 19 police action at Shambu and Khanauri interstate borders.
"Our tractors, trolleys, and personal belongings were looted after police evicted us. Many elderly farmers were left abandoned at night. The govt must answer for this," he said.
Farmers had been camping at Shambu and Khanauri since Feb 13, 2024, as part of their 'Delhi Chalo 2.0' protest spearheaded by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), demanding a legal guarantee to
minimum support price
(MSP) on all crops. However, the protestors were removed by state govt on March 19.
