Hundreds of farmers from Punjab, including prominent leaders of various farmer unions, were detained by the police on Wednesday as they attempted to march towards Chandigarh to participate in the ‘Chandigarh Chalo’ protest on the call given by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) — a pan-India farmer body. The protest, aimed at pressing the government to address long-standing demands such as a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and ownership rights for hereditary tenant farmers, among others, was met with heavy police deployment and roadblocks across the State. The police action led to widespread dharnas (sit-ins) at over 25 locations across Punjab, as farmers were prevented from moving towards the state capital.
Among those detained were Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ekta Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan, BKU Rajewal’s state vice-president Mukesh Chander Sharma, and BKU Shadipur’s president Buta Singh Shadipur. Ugrahan was arrested by Sangrur police near Gharachon village and taken to Chhajli police station. The arrests and detentions have sparked outrage among farmers, who accuse the Punjab Government of suppressing their democratic right to protest.
The Punjab Police, in coordination with Chandigarh Police, sealed all major entry points to Chandigarh, including highways and rural link roads. Heavy machinery such as tippers and sand trucks were parked on highways to block the movement of tractor trolleys carrying farmers. Despite these measures, farmers attempted to reach Chandigarh in small groups, using alternative routes through villages to evade police checkpoints.
In Samrala, a convoy of farmers from Ferozepur was stopped near Hedon village, while another group from Moga was halted at Ajitwal. Farmers from Fazilka were similarly prevented from proceeding near Jagraon in Ludhiana. In Patiala, the police sealed toll plazas at Dhareri Jattan and Ajizpur, effectively cutting off the Patiala-Chandigarh road. Farmers who were stopped parked their vehicles on the roadside and began reciting religious hymns, vowing to continue their protest without obstructing traffic.
BKU Dakaunda, the second-largest farmer union in Punjab, alleged that its president Manjit Singh Dhaner was roughed up by the police near Bhaini Dharera village in Raikot. According to Angrej Singh, an associate of Dhaner, a confrontation between farmers and police ensued when officers attempted to arrest the leader. Dhaner managed to escape as tensions escalated, but the incident has further fueled anger among the protesting farmers.
Farmers have accused the Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, of adopting a heavy-handed approach reminiscent of the BJP-led Central Government’s tactics during the 2020-21 farmers’ protests. “Despite the emergency-like situation where hundreds are being taken into police custody, men and women came out on the roads and protested the diktat of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann,” said Kirti Kisan Union’s press secretary Raminder Singh Patiala.
The protests come in the wake of a failed meeting between SKM leaders and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday. During the meeting, farmers presented an 18-point charter of demands, including MSP guarantees, debt waivers, and ownership rights for tenant farmers. However, the talks broke down after Mann walked out, accusing the farmers of being adamant to go ahead with their protest and raising issues that fell under the Central Government’s jurisdiction.
“I asked them what would happen to the March 5 protest. They said it would continue. Then why was I made to sit for two and a half hours when their demands were not within my purview?” Mann told the media later.
The Chief Minister’s remarks drew sharp criticism from farmer leaders, who accused him of reneging on his promises. “The AAP government is behaving like the BJP government at the Centre. They promised to implement a new agricultural policy within a month, but nothing has been done,” said BKU Ugrahan’s general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan.
On Tuesday, several SKM leaders were detained by the police even as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann hit out at the protesting farmers, saying that they had turned Punjab into a “state of dharnas”. The farmers were later booked under Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita sections related to breach of peace.
In Amritsar, farmers gathered at the Golden Gate and later burned an effigy of Chief Minister Mann to express their discontent. Similar protests were reported in other parts of the state, including Mohali, where around 50 farmers were detained near Amb Sahib Gurudwara. In Barnala, farmers blocked the Badbar toll plaza after being prevented from moving towards Chandigarh.
The SKM, a coalition of over 30 farmer unions, had called for a week-long sit-in at Sector 34 in Chandigarh. However, the Chandigarh Administration denied permission for the protest, prompting the police to seal the Punjab-Chandigarh border. Farmers attempting to enter Chandigarh were subjected to rigorous checks, with police even verifying ID proofs of bike and car riders.
Despite the crackdown, farmer leaders remain undeterred. “Our protest call stands. Heavy police force has been deployed everywhere in the State, and we are not being allowed to go to our state capital,” said Kokrikalan. Farmers have vowed to continue their agitation, with plans to hold roadside dharnas wherever they are stopped.
