Farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher, Jagjit Singh Dallewal detained; police remove temporary structures at Shambhu border | Watch
PTC Web Desk: The Punjab Police has taken action against protesting farmers, detaining key leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and jagjit Singh Dallewal on Wednesday. The detentions reportedly occurred while the leaders were returning from a meeting with the Central Government. Farmer groups have strongly condemned the move, alleging it as an attempt to suppress their ongoing agitation.
Security forces have also dismantled temporary structures and removed fans from a makeshift stage set up by farmers at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu Border, where they had been protesting over various demands. The police took action to clear the site as part of efforts to manage the ongoing agitation. Protesters were also asked to vacate the area, leading to heightened tensions at the border. There are also reports of the suspension of Internet services at several places.
Since morning, a large police presence had been gathering at Ladda Kothi and Police Lines. After the detention of Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, major action was anticipated at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, where farmers are protesting.
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Notably, the seventh round of talks between the Central Government and farmers remained inconclusive on Wednesday. The meeting, which lasted for nearly four hours, saw the participation of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Union Minister for Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi.
Following the meeting, the Punjab Police detained several farmer leaders returning to the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who had been on a hunger strike, was detained in Sangrur. Sarwan Singh Pandher was detained from Airport Road in Mohali.
Before his detention, Pandher had raised concerns about increased security deployment at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, suggesting that the government might be preparing to remove the protest sites. However, he reaffirmed that the agitation would continue until the demand for a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) was met.
After the meeting, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that the government had assured farmers that their protests would not be forcibly removed. He mentioned that the list of demands related to MSP shared by the farmers had some complexities that required further discussion with all ministries concerned. As a result, both sides agreed to hold the next round of talks on May 4.
- PTC NEWS
