Chandigarh (Punjab), India, March 21 (ANI): Leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) Harinder Singh Lakhowal and Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Raminder Singh declined to participate in a meeting organized by the Punjab government and declared plans for protests at district headquarters throughout the state on March 28, accusing the state administration of oppression.
Following accusations from prominent farmer representatives who claimed that the Punjab administration used disproportionate force against protesting farmers and wrongfully detained numerous leaders, the decision has been made. The unfavorable circumstances led them to refuse participation in the meeting as well.
Notably, two days after Punjab police The Sambhu and Khanauri borders were cleared, removing the provisional constructions set up by the demonstrating farmers. In response, Punjab’s Agriculture Minister, Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, scheduled a gathering with farmer representatives for Friday in Chandigarh.
Harinder Singh Lakhowal He said, “Today, the Punjab government scheduled a meeting with us. Given the injustices we faced—being forcibly removed from our protest sites unlawfully—and considering how many individuals remain incarcerated, we have chosen not to participate in this meeting. Instead, we plan to stage a demonstration on March 28th at the district headquarters…”
Raminder Singh reiterated comparable worries, indicating that Punjab was becoming a "police state," with farmers facing unfair persecution.
...Throughout our discussion, we concluded that attempts are underway to turn Punjab into a police state...the farmers faced oppression...approximately 7-8 farmer leaders were detained and not permitted to return to Chandigarh...
"The central government had called upon those farmer leaders for a meeting, with the participation of the Punjab government. Despite this, these leaders ended up being arrested... This approach does not align with inviting someone initially only to detain them when they return. It signifies an erosion of democratic spaces," he further stated.
"We have opted to organize a protest at the district headquarters and have encouraged all farmers to join us," he further stated.
Meanwhile, farmers in Tamil Nadu Tiruchi's Tiruchirappalli conducted a 'rail blockade' demonstration on the Cauvery Railway Bridge The protest was spearheaded by renowned farmer activist and attorney P Ayyakannu.
The protest took place as a reaction to measures imposed on agricultural leaders in Punjab, where farmers were demonstrating against the government and voicing several demands. These included securing a legally binding Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all types of produce.
The Railways Protection Force RPF ) and local law enforcement stepped in to manage the scenario and remove the obstructions from the tracks. (ANI)
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