Farmers Protest: Punjab Police on Friday evicted farmers from Shambhu and Khanauri protest sites which were blocked for more than a year. Police sources told news agency PTI late on Wednesday the protest sites have been cleared after dismantling temporary structures and stages and removing trolleys and other vehicles stationed by the farmers. Amid stringent police action, several farmer leaders including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal were detained in Mohali while returning from a meeting with a central delegation.
#WATCH | Police remove farmers from Punjab-Haryana Shambhu Border who were sitting on a protest over various demands. pic.twitter.com/nYHIogfEcM
— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2025
Later, the internet was shut down at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders in Punjab following the detention of key farmer leaders Dallewal and Pandher. Police used bulldozers to remove concrete barricades erected at the Haryana – Punjab Shambhu Border to restrict farmers’ movement further from where they were sitting on a protest over various demands. In view of the police action at the Shambhu border, traffic on the route has been diverted.
#WATCH | Haryana Police uses bulldozers to remove concrete barricades erected at Haryana – Punjab Shambhu Border to restrict farmers’ movement further from where they were sitting on a protest over various demands.
Yesterday, late in the evening, Punjab police removed the… pic.twitter.com/Ma5SPYwT9m
— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2025
Farmer leader Guramneet Singh Mangat said the farmer leaders were detained in Mohali in the evening while they were headed to the Shambhu protest site after the meeting in Chandigarh with the delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
#WATCH | Punjab | Police remove farmers from Punjab-Haryana Khanauri Border who were sitting on a protest over various demands.
Amid massive police deployment – farmers were evicted, temporary structures erected by them were removed, and several farmers were detained. (19/03) pic.twitter.com/XoYQ52PqVw
— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2025
While the BJP criticised the police action and alleged the AAP government was trying to “sabotage” the talks, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema justified the eviction of farmers, saying industries and businesses have been hit hard due to the prolonged closure of two highways — “the lifelines of the state”. “The AAP is committed to youths and generating employment. They will get jobs if the trade and industry functions smoothly,” Cheema said.
Here Are Top Points
1. There were signs from early in the day of impending police action at the two protest sites as they witnessed heavy deployment even as the farmer leaders met the central delegation in Chandigarh. Farmers said earlier in the day that ambulances, buses, firefighting and anti-riot vehicles were deployed near the protest sites. There were around 200 farmers at the Khanauri site and around 50 at the Shambhu border point.
2. Asked when the traffic can resume, a senior police officer said that after the road on the Punjab side has been cleared, the resumption of movement depends on when the Haryana government removes the barricades.
3. In a statement, BJP leader and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu strongly condemned the detention of farmer leaders and alleged the AAP government in Punjab was trying to “sabotage” talks between the Centre and farmers. He said he spoke to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, urging him to remove the barricades put up by the security personnel. He said it will take two to three days for its removal and thereafter, the road will be opened from the Haryana side.
4. After the more-than-three-hour meeting, Agriculture Minister Chouhan said, “The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. The discussions took place in a positive and constructive manner. The talks will continue. The next meeting will take place on May 4.”
5. Following the meeting, as the departing farmers entered Mohali from Chandigarh, they were met with heavy barricading in Mohali. Farmer leader Mangat said that Abhimanyu Kohar, Kaka Singh Kotra and Manjit Singh Rai were detained alongside Pandher and Dallewal.
6. Pandher was detained from the Zirakpur barrier and taken to the Bahadurgarh Commando Police Training Centre in Patiala. Dallewal, who was in an ambulance, was also detained.
7. Farmers claimed that the driver of Dallewal’s ambulance was removed and police took control of it. Some farmers protested the police action and entered into a scuffle with the security personnel.
8. The protesting farmers — led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha — have been camping at the Shambhu (Shambhu-Ambala) and Khanauri (Sangrur-Jind) border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year when their march to Delhi was thwarted by security forces.
9. They have been protesting in support of various demands including a legal guarantee to MSP for crops. In Chandigarh, the talks between farmer leaders and a central delegation to discuss various demands of farmers remained inconclusive.
(With agencies’ inputs)