Punjab Newsline | Patiala
Farmers from Punjab set out for Delhi on Tuesday morning to protest the proposed India-US trade deal but were stopped by the Haryana Police at the Shambhu border after heavy barricading blocked all movement on the highway.
Farmers had begun gathering at Fatehgarh Sahib and Khanauri on Monday night. At around 6 am on Tuesday, convoys of buses, jeeps, minibuses and private vehicles, led by Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha convener Sarvan Singh Pandher, left Fatehgarh Sahib for the national capital.
According to the farmers, Haryana Police erected barricades on the Shambhu border around 5:30 am, completely sealing the highway and preventing vehicles from crossing in either direction.
Pandher said the farmers had no intention of engaging in any confrontation and expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to the public due to the border closure. He added that if the protesters were not allowed to proceed beyond the Shambhu border, they would stage a peaceful sit-in on the highway until 4 pm.
The protest march is part of the Desh Bachao Morcha's call for a Kisan Mahapanchayat at Kisan Ghat in Delhi. Pandher said the one-day programme aims to oppose the proposed India-US trade agreement and raise farmers' concerns.
Criticising the authorities, Pandher alleged that preventing farmers from peacefully protesting in the country's capital was "undemocratic" and accused the government of adopting a repressive approach by detaining farmer leaders.
