The Punjab-Haryana borders at Shambhu and Khanauri, which remained blockaded for over 13 months due to prolonged farmer protests demanding legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP), have finally been reopened for vehicular movement on Thursday. A day after Punjab Police launched a late-night operation to remove protesting farmers and dismantle their encampments, the National Highways at Shambhu and Khanauri were cleared, allowing one-way traffic to resume. The move, however, triggered widespread protests across Punjab, with farmers blocking roads, staging dharnas outside Deputy Commissioners’ offices and staging demonstrations in several districts. Clashes erupted between police and protesting farmers in Bathinda, Muktsar, Moga, Faridkot, and Hoshiarpur, as authorities attempted to thwart attempts to re-establish road blockades.
The crackdown, which led to the detention of over 200 farmers, including key leaders of the agitation, has now taken a new turn, with reports of some detained leaders also launching a hunger strike in custody in protest against their arrest and the forceful eviction of farmers from the protest sites.
Octogenarian farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on hunger strike since November 26, 2024, also refused hospitalization and continuing his fast which has now entered 115th day. Dallewal, detained, was shifted under tight security to a PWD guest house in Jalandhar Cantonment after initially being taken to PIMS Hospital in Jalandhar. Sources indicated that authorities have been frequently moving him between locations to prevent farmers from mobilizing in his support.
Farmer unions have condemned the detentions, terming them an attack on the democratic right to peaceful protest.
Punjab Government has declared Hanuman Palace in Khanauri as a temporary jail, where farmers, detained from Khanauri morcha, have been lodged. Additional Chief Secretary (Prisons) has designated the facility as a temporary jail from March 19 to 25. It has been learnt that around 250 farmers are currently being held at Hanuman Palace. A total of 325 farmers were detained from Khanauri morcha, but several were later released.
Shambhu, Khanauri Borders Cleared After Year-Long Protest
On the night of March 19, Punjab Police carried out a swift and coordinated operation to clear the Shambhu and Khanauri protest sites. Farmers, who had been camping at these locations as part of their agitation for guaranteed MSP and other demands, were forcibly removed. Bulldozers were deployed to dismantle their makeshift settlements, while security forces detained leading protest figures, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, as they returned from a failed seventh round of talks with the Central Government in Chandigarh.
Following the operation, Haryana authorities also removed the concrete barricades and iron nails that had been placed to prevent farmers from advancing toward Delhi. By Thursday evening, the Punjab-Haryana highway at Shambhu was fully operational in both directions, bringing relief to commuters who had faced prolonged disruptions. Meanwhile, the highway at Khanauri was partially reopened, with only two-wheelers being allowed to pass due to remaining farmer tractors blocking parts of the road.
Statewide Protests and Clashes with Police
The forced eviction of farmers from the border sites sparked immediate backlash across Punjab. Protesters attempted to block major roads in districts such as Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Faridkot, and Moga. In Gidderbaha (Muktsar), farmers clashed with the police while trying to march toward government offices. Similar confrontations occurred in Moga, where security forces had to disperse the crowd. Reports suggested that several protestors were detained as authorities tried to prevent escalation.
In Barnala, members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) organized a demonstration outside the Deputy Commissioner's office. Protesters carried effigies of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, accusing the AAP-led Punjab Government of betraying the farmers by coordinating with the Centre to suppress their movement. Farmers have also announced fresh protests outside deputy commissioner offices across the state.
Emergency Cabinet Meeting
With protests escalating across the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann called an emergency cabinet meeting in the evening at his residence to discuss the unfolding situation. The State Government has justified the police action, stating that the prolonged blockade of highways had caused inconvenience to the public and disrupted trade and commerce.
Meanwhile, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav maintained that the operation was conducted peacefully and that all necessary steps were taken to avoid violence. “We facilitated farmers who wanted to leave peacefully. The highway has now been cleared, and traffic has resumed after 13 months,” he stated.
AAP Ministers, Leaders Rally to Defend Punjab Govt’s Actions, Urge Farmers to Shift Protests to Delhi
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in Punjab has gone into overdrive to defend the State Government’s move, urging farmers to redirect their protests against the Central Government while emphasizing the severe economic toll of prolonged border closures. With the state’s economy and industrial growth at stake, AAP leaders have called for a strategic shift in the farmers’ agitation, even as they launched a scathing attack on the Congress for its alleged hypocrisy and failure to address farmers’ concerns during its tenure.
“Border Closures Harm Punjab, Not the Centre”
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema highlighted the adverse impact of the ongoing border blockades at Shambhu and Khanauri, stating, “These highways are Punjab’s lifelines for trade and industry. The closures, lasting over a year, have severely impacted Punjab’s economy and hindered industrial development.” Cheema urged farmers to focus their protests on the Central Government, arguing that blocking Punjab’s trade routes only harms the state while leaving the BJP-led Centre unaffected.
Echoing similar sentiments, AAP MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer emphasized that the border closures have driven industries out of Punjab, causing the state to lose hundreds of crores in revenue. “BJP government in Delhi will not suffer any losses due to this. Instead, it is directly harming Punjab,” he said, urging farmers to open one side of the border to ease economic pressures.
Despite the criticism, AAP leaders reiterated their commitment to Punjab’s farmers and overall development. Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan emphasized that the AAP Government has always stood by farmers and will continue to do so. “We request our farmer brothers not to block highways, as it harms Punjab’s trade and industry,” he said.
Several AAP leaders, including Baltej Pannu and Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sondh, linked the state’s economic struggles to rising unemployment and drug abuse among Punjab’s youth. Pannu noted, “Unemployment is the biggest reason for drug addiction. The closure of highways and roads has severely impacted industries and trade, further exacerbating the problem.” Sondh added that the AAP Government is committed to create employment opportunities through industrial growth, but this requires unhindered trade and transportation.
Farmers Urged to Protest in Delhi
AAP leaders unanimously urged farmers to shift their protests to Delhi, where they can directly pressure the Central Government. Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, himself a farmer, declared, “I am ready to resign from all my positions and sit in protest with the farmers in Delhi. The fight is with the Centre, not Punjab.” Bhullar emphasized that blocking highways in Punjab only halts the state’s development and weakens its economy.
Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh also appealed to farmers to reconsider their strategy, stating, “Closing Punjab’s borders has only hurt our state, while the BJP Government remains unaffected. Let us protest in Delhi and fight for MSP together.”
Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO urged farmers to unite and present their demands collectively to the Central Government. “This is not just the farmers’ fight; it is a fight for Punjab and its identity. We must remain united, just like we did in 2020 when we successfully repealed the black laws,” he said.
AAP Slams Cong for Hypocrisy
AAP leaders did not hold back in their criticism of Congress, accusing the party of shedding “crocodile tears” over farmers’ issues while failing to act during its tenure. AAP MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal slammed Congress for its “drama culture”, stating, “Congress’s failures have forced farmers into prolonged struggles, leading to over 800 deaths during the farmers’ movement. Their recent protests are nothing but a publicity stunt.”
NRI Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal questioned Congress MPs’ silence during the farm agitation, asking, “Where were these leaders when Punjab’s RDF funds were withheld, and its development projects were stalled?” He praised the AAP Government for its consistent support for farmers and its efforts to revive Punjab’s economy.
Opposition Slams AAP Govt Over Crackdown on Farmers
AAP-led Punjab Government's recent crackdown on protesting farmers has triggered sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of acting under the directives of the BJP-led Central Government.
Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa lambasted the AAP Government, alleging that it orchestrated a crackdown against farmers on BJP’s instructions. “A fake narrative was built that farmers had blocked highways, but in reality, it was the Haryana Government that imposed the blockade. Now, at the BJP’s behest, AAP has initiated an undemocratic crackdown on farmers,” Bajwa said.
Bajwa condemned the arrest of farm union leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, calling it a cowardly act. He further accused CM Mann of betraying Punjab’s farmers. “Hundreds of farmers were injured due to Haryana Police’s brutality, and one of our young farmers, Shubhkaran Singh, was shot dead. Yet, Punjab Police, under Home Minister Bhagwant Mann, did nothing,” he added.
SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal also denounced the state and central governments, accusing them of colluding to suppress farmers. He claimed that CM Mann had been reduced to a “rubber stamp”, with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal making all key decisions. “Never in history have farmer leaders been invited for talks and then lathi-charged and arrested. This is a clear case of betrayal,” he said.
Sukhbir further alleged that AAP’s actions were linked to Kejriwal’s political ambitions, particularly his bid for a Rajya Sabha seat. He urged SAD workers to stand with farmers and resist what he termed as “suppression of Punjab’s annadaata (food providers)”.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, however, took a different stance, accusing AAP, Congress, and even farm leaders of exploiting farmers for political gains. He raised questions about the Punjab Government's sudden decision to remove Dallewal from the protest site, suggesting a well-orchestrated move. “Farmers are being misled by political parties. Kejriwal used them during the Delhi elections and has now shifted focus to industrialists,” Jakhar alleged.
Jakhar also criticized Congress for failing to push for an MSP when in power, calling their stance hypocritical. He expressed disappointment over the State Government’s handling of key issues, including the alleged police assault on an Army colonel in Patiala. “Punjab, once a land of ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan,’ is now witnessing its chief minister ignore critical issues,” he said.
