Chandigarh: The Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, has forcefully defended the crackdown by police against protesting farmers and stated that the state will not be allowed to be brought to a halt with road and railway blockades. His statement was made a day after midnight raids by the Punjab Police, arresting some of the farmer leaders ahead of the ‘Chandigarh Chalo’ march organized by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on March 5. The move has ignited a political storm, with farmer unions accusing the AAP government of trying to suppress their agitation using force. Addressing the media on Tuesday, Mann justified his walkout of a meeting with farmer leaders, alleging that their insistence on continuing protests even as negotiations were being sought left no ground for negotiations from him.
“I left the meeting as they were adamant about carrying on the protests of March 5. I told them that you cannot continue obstructing roads and rail tracks and still hope for the government to go on talking with you. Punjab is suffering because of these endless demonstrations. The state’s economy is being hurt, and I will not allow Punjab to turn into a land of continuous protests,” Mann declared. The Chief Minister reaffirmed that while his government was prepared to listen, law and order cannot be bargained. “Day after day, they hold ‘rail roko’ and ‘sadak roko’ protests, disturbing the lives of common people and trade. This cannot continue indefinitely. No one should take my patience for weakness. If farmers believe that they can continue their protest and simultaneously hold negotiations with the government, then I do not see the point of talking,” he said.
Mann further stated that he had asked the farmer unions to end their agitation and follow a constructive solution instead of resorting to blockades and demonstrations. “I told them Punjab cannot tolerate such disruptions. If the state loses, then everyone is affected, including the farmers. But they were not ready to listen to me,” he added. The police crackdown, which came just hours after Mann’s walkout, has been strongly condemned by farmer unions, who claim that the government is turning to force instead of hearing them out. Farmer leaders have accused Punjab Police officials of barging into their homes at midnight and arresting them without warning.
Krantikari Kisan Union president Gurmeet Singh Mehma, in a widely circulated video, stated that he was picked up from preventive custody from his residence in Ferozepur.
Similarly, BKU (Rajewal) vice president Mukesh Chander Sharma announced that his residence was raided at 4 am. Apart from the backlash, AAP spokesperson Malwinder Kang defended the Chief Minister’s move, stating Mann had given farmer leaders ample time to voice their concerns before leaving for a pre-scheduled doctor’s appointment. “Punjab government was the first to come to the farmers in a positive manner. Our doors have been open to dialogue. But law and order is paramount, and the police took steps needed to make sure that there is no disruption,” Kang said.
The ‘Chandigarh Chalo’ protest has been called to demand the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, along with other assurances to the farm community. As the standoff between the farmer unions and the government becomes more serious, tensions only seem to remain higher in Punjab, forecasting an even larger political battle in the next few days.