Haryana Police removed all cemented barricades from Shambhu border on Thursday morning, a day after Punjab Police, in a major crackdown, evicted protesting farmers from both Shambhu and Khanauri border. Punjab police uprooted all tents and structures erected by farmers since February 13 last year, and detained top farmer leaders including Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Sarvan Singh Pandher, Abhimanyu Kohar, Kaka Singh Kotra and Manjeet Singh Rai, moments after they returned from a meeting in Chandigarh with Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. The farmer leaders have been shifted to a PWD guest house. Dallewal has been admitted to a hospital in Jalandhar. The Centre has fixed May 4 for the next round of talks with farmer leaders. Soon after the talks with Centre ended, Punjab Police started a crackdown and forcibly evicted farmers. Heavy police deployment was made at all entry points near Shambhu and Khanauri border. Bulldozers were used to raze semi-permanent structures erected by farmers. More than 250 farmers from Khanauri and 110 famers from Shambhu border have been detained. The detained farmers have been shifted to a marriage hall. Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal targeted Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann saying , “the real face of Aam Aadmi Party now stands exposed”. AAP minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that since the farmers’ agitation was against the Centre, and the two borders had remained closed for long, the state police had to take action. One must note that the the three-hour-long talks between farmer leaders and the Union Ministers had ended on a promising note and there was peace on Shambhu border. Yet Punjab’s AAP government suddenly took action. This is surprising. Bhagwant Mann had been supporting the farmers’ agitation till a month ago, but when farmers started reminding him of his government’s promises, Mann took umbrage. At his last meeting with farmer leaders last month, Mann left in a huff and said he would not bow to their demands. It seems Mann became angry when farmer leaders came to Chandigarh for direct talks with two Central ministers. The moment the meeting ended, Mann sent police to evict the squatting farmers.OPINION | Why Bhagwant Mann ordered crackdown on farmers?
Haryana Police removed all cemented barricades from Shambhu border on Thursday morning, a day after Punjab Police, in a major crackdown, evicted protesting farmers from both Shambhu and Khanauri border. Punjab police uprooted all tents and structures erected by farmers since February 13 last year, and detained top farmer leaders including Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Sarvan Singh Pandher, Abhimanyu Kohar, Kaka Singh Kotra and Manjeet Singh Rai, moments after they returned from a meeting in Chandigarh with Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. The farmer leaders have been shifted to a PWD guest house. Dallewal has been admitted to a hospital in Jalandhar. The Centre has fixed May 4 for the next round of talks with farmer leaders. Soon after the talks with Centre ended, Punjab Police started a crackdown and forcibly evicted farmers. Heavy police deployment was made at all entry points near Shambhu and Khanauri border. Bulldozers were used to raze semi-permanent structures erected by farmers. More than 250 farmers from Khanauri and 110 famers from Shambhu border have been detained. The detained farmers have been shifted to a marriage hall. Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal targeted Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann saying , “the real face of Aam Aadmi Party now stands exposed”. AAP minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that since the farmers’ agitation was against the Centre, and the two borders had remained closed for long, the state police had to take action. One must note that the the three-hour-long talks between farmer leaders and the Union Ministers had ended on a promising note and there was peace on Shambhu border. Yet Punjab’s AAP government suddenly took action. This is surprising. Bhagwant Mann had been supporting the farmers’ agitation till a month ago, but when farmers started reminding him of his government’s promises, Mann took umbrage. At his last meeting with farmer leaders last month, Mann left in a huff and said he would not bow to their demands. It seems Mann became angry when farmer leaders came to Chandigarh for direct talks with two Central ministers. The moment the meeting ended, Mann sent police to evict the squatting farmers.
