Farmers’ Leaders Allege Police Raids, Detentions Ahead of March 5 Protest
Leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) have alleged that Punjab police conducted early morning "raids" at the residences of several farmer leaders on Tuesday and also "detained" some of them ahead of their planned protest in Chandigarh on March 5.
As of now, there has been no official response from the police regarding these claims. Farmer leaders said the police action came a day after discussions between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and SKM representatives ended abruptly. Fearing further action, several farmer leaders have reportedly gone underground.
The SKM has called for a week-long sit-in in Chandigarh starting March 5 to press for their demands. Harinder Singh Lakhowal, general secretary of Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal), alleged that Punjab police raided the homes of SKM leaders early in the morning. "The government cannot silence the farmers with such actions," he asserted, adding that their protest is in support of various farmer demands. He also claimed that police personnel had been deployed outside his residence.
Lakhowal further warned the state government against using such measures to suppress the protest. "It is our democratic right to hold protests, and we urge farmers to gather in large numbers in Chandigarh," he said.
BKU (Rajewal) vice president Mukesh Chander Sharma also alleged that his house was raided. "Police raided my residence at 4 AM," Sharma claimed, strongly condemning the action.
Tensions escalated after talks between the Punjab government and SKM leaders collapsed on Monday. Farmer representatives alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann "stormed out of the meeting in anger without any provocation." However, Mann later stated that his government remains open to dialogue but urged that protests should not cause inconvenience to the public.
The SKM, which spearheaded the 2020 protests against the now-repealed farm laws, has put forth multiple demands, including the withdrawal of the Centre’s draft of the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing, a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, the implementation of Punjab’s agricultural policy, and state procurement of six crops at MSP.
Additionally, the farmers are demanding a law for debt settlement, assured canal water supply to all fields, clearance of pending sugarcane payments, and an end to the "forcible" land acquisition under the Bharatmala highway project.
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