Shambhu Border on High After Farmers’ Protest

Farmers have been cleared from the Shambhu barrier following a prolonged protest. Security has been heightened at the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu Border, where Haryana Police used bulldozers on Thursday to remove concrete barricades restricting farmer movement.

On Wednesday evening, Punjab Police removed farmers from the protest area. Following this action, Patiala's Senior Superintendent of Police, Nanak Singh, announced that the entire road would be cleared for traffic.

"Farmers have been at the Shambhu Border for quite some time.With Duty Magistrates present, police cleared the area after issuing warnings. Some residents were bused home. Structures and vehicles are being relocated, clearing the road for traffic, he explained.

"Haryana Police will also initiate their operations. Once they clear their side, traffic on the highway will resume. We didn’t have to use force since there was no resistance. The farmers were cooperative and boarded the buses willingly," he added.

Several farmer leaders, including Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fast, and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarvan Singh Pandher, were taken into custody by the Police.

Rakesh Tikait, a farmer leader and national spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), criticized the actions of the Punjab government.

"While the government is negotiating with farmer organizations at the Punjab border, they are simultaneously arresting them. 

We strongly condemn the Punjab government's actions, and all farmer organizations are prepared for any struggle," Tikait shared on X.

Former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi alleged that the attacks on farmers are part of a larger conspiracy. Today, it's not just Punjab but the whole farming community that's under serious pressure. 

A meeting took place in Chandigarh where it was agreed that the next discussions would happen on May 4. However, the farmers were ambushed and misled. Channi asserted the government, not farmers eager to reach Delhi, blocked the roads. BJP's Bajwa affirmed his party's support for farmers, while criticizing Kejriwal and Mann for their actions against them.