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Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cops block farmers, prevent Shambhu sit-in; Dallewal accuses CM Bhagwant Mann of turning Punjab Into A ‘Garrison'
Bathinda: The Punjab Police intensified its crackdown on protesting farmers associated with farm forums Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, preventing them from reaching Shambhu for a sit-in outside the local police station by making detentions and putting senior leaders, including Jagjit Singh Dallewal, under house action comes following a warning by chief minister Bhagwant Mann against any road or rail blockades or protests causing public leading to Shambhu were heavily barricaded, with even loaded tippers being strategically placed to block the movement of protesting crackdown extended beyond Punjab's borders. In Haryana, including Ambala, protesters primarily associated with BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) were prevented from reaching Shambhu. They were stopped at Gurdwara Manji Sahib, with Haryana-based farmer leader Tejveer Singh alleging that "Punjab Police reached the gurdwara in plainclothes and studied their movements".In Punjab's Moga district, at Ajitwal town, activists of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee were also intercepted, with farm leaders stating that some were even taken into farm forums had planned the demonstration to protest the police's recent actions, including the arrest of farmer leaders on March 19 after a meeting with central and state ministers, subsequent demolition of protest sites, and the alleged assault on farmer leader Balwant Singh Behramke on March 20. The farmers had also expressed outrage over the disappearance of their belongings, including tractor trailers, from the protest leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, angered by the arrests and house arrests, released a video message on Tuesday morning strongly condemning the govt's actions. He stated that the farm forums merely intended to voice their concerns regarding the police actions of March accused the Mann-led government of transforming Punjab into a "garrison" and launching a widespread crackdown on farmers. He said that many leaders detained on Monday, including Kaka Singh Kotda, had been sent to jail. Dallewal cautioned Mann that such state repression could incite further asserted that protests cannot be suppressed through coercion, emphasising that increased repression would only lead to greater resistance and that the rising voices of dissent would not tolerate authoritarianism. He questioned the "double standards" of the CM and his party leaders, who themselves have participated in protests in Delhi and Punjab, yet seem unwilling to concede to the farmers' right to to block rail trafficKisan Mazdoor Morcha, expressing anger over the acquisition of farmlands for road projects against the farmers' wishes, announced plans to block rail traffic at Devidaspura near Amritsar starting Wednesday. "We will continue protests and will sit wherever we are stopped and will mobilise people against such high-handedness from the state govt led by a political party which claims to have originated from the protests and struggles," declared farm leaders, adding that numerous activists from the BKU (Ekta Azad) organisation have been detained in Mangwal village near 120924755 413 |
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Police stop protesting farmers from heading towards Faridkot
Bathinda: Activists from the farmer forums Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) clashed with police on their way to a venue where Punjab assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and ministers Tarunpreet Singh Sondh, Laljit Singh Bhullar, and Baljit Kaur were in attendence. The farmers, under a joint call from both forums, assembled in various districts to deliver memorandums seeking compensation for damage to wheat crops due to fires and untimely rains, as well as for items that went missing from protest sites at Shambhu and Khanauri on March 19. The activists gathered in Faridkot while the speaker and ministers were in town for a programme under the 'Yudh Nashia Virudh' (War Against Drugs) campaign. The activists aimed to reach the venue to deliver their memorandum but were stopped at a distance. When the farmers attempted to proceed, the police used force to stop them and detained several activists. In the ensuing chaos, some farmers opposed the use of force. Activists claimed that the previous Punjab govt betrayed them by arresting farm leaders after a meeting with central and Punjab ministers and dismantling the morchas on March 19. They argued that farmers suffered due to fires in the fields and untimely rains. The activists added that despite the 'Yudh Nashia Virudh' campaign by the govt, drugs remain available in hotspot areas across districts. Meanwhile, the assembly Speaker and the ministers resolved to eradicate drug abuse and claimed that the campaign is yielding desired results. MSID:: 120822691 413 |
