Farmers protesting at the Shambhu border in Patiala district on Tuesday demanded the arrest of individuals, they allege, attempted to create chaos at their protest site. The farmers, led by prominent farm union leaders, did not mince a word to claim that these miscreants are backed by the Punjab and Haryana Governments in a deliberate attempt to undermine their ongoing agitation.
The protesters, who have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, accused some miscreants of trying to disrupt their peaceful demonstration. The ‘Delhi Chalo’ andolan, organized by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), was halted by Haryana security forces, leading to the current standoff.
KMM leader Dilbagh Singh Harigarh, during a press conference at the Shambhu border, spoke vehemently against the alleged conspiracy. “We have not blocked any road. It is the Centre which has created obstacles on the highway,” Harigarh said. He accused the Punjab and Haryana Governments, along with the Centre, of backing the disruptive elements. “We demand that those who tried to create a ruckus at the protest site should be booked and arrested,” he asserted.
The controversy began on Sunday when a group of people allegedly tried to seize the stage at the protest site. The farmers claimed that these actions were orchestrated to defame their movement. However, the accused group, including traders from Ambala, refuted these allegations, arguing that they were there to highlight the economic losses they were suffering due to the blockade of the Ambala-Ludhiana national highway and to request the farmers to lift the blockade.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) leader Kaka Singh emphasized that the blockades on the national highway were imposed by the Haryana Government, not the farmers. “If the government clears the blockades today, we will go to Delhi,” he said, while noting the support from local villagers, reinforcing the farmers' resolve to continue their protest until their demands are met.
The farmers' primary demands include a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops. The protest, led by various farm unions, is part of a broader struggle against what they perceive as government policies detrimental to their livelihoods.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) president Amarjit Singh Mohri accused the State Governments of conspiring to weaken the farmers’ agitation. He reiterated the farmers’ commitment to their cause, despite what he described as efforts to defame and delegitimize their protest.
