Haryana Begins Removing Barricades at Shambhu Border After Farmers' Eviction

The Haryana security officials had fortified the state border with Punjab with cement blocks, iron nails and barbed wire to scuttle any attempt by the farmers from Punjab to move towards the capital as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' programme.

Punjab Police on Wednesday detained several farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, in Mohali as they were returning after a meeting with a central delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Chandigarh.

Police also evicted the agitating farmers from the Shambhu and Khanauri protest sites, which were blocked for more than a year. Police also dismantled temporary structures and stages put up at these two sites using JCB machines.

At the meeting in Chandigarh, the seventh round of talks between the two sides, the central delegation was also represented by Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

The meeting discussed the various demands of the farmers, especially a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for crops. As the departing farmers entered Mohali after the meeting, they were met with heavy barricading. Farmer leader Guramneet Singh Mangat said Abhimanyu Kohar, Kaka Singh Kotra and Manjit Singh Rai were among the detainees alongside Pandher and Dallewal.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema justified the eviction of farmers, saying industries and businesses have been hit hard due to the prolonged closure of the two highways, which he called "the lifelines of he state".

"The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is committed towards generating employment for the youth. And they will get jobs only if the trade and industry functions smoothly," Cheema said on Wednesday.

"Trade has been suffering. This action has been taken after considering all the situations. We have been telling the farmer leaders that your fight is with the Centre. We are with you. But you are causing heavy loss to Punjab by closing the border," the finance minister added.

He also said the Punjab government remains committed to supporting the farmers in their legitimate demands, claiming that the AAP ministers are actively working to present the farmers' concerns before the Centre.

"We urge the farmer leaders to focus their struggle against the Centre while allowing Punjab to progress. We stand with the farmers today, as we always have, and will continue to fight alongside them," Cheema said.

Police made heavy deployment before undertaking the eviction exercise to clear the two highways. The protesting farmers -- led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha -- were camping at the Shambhu (Shambhu-Ambala) and Khanauri (Sangrur-Jind) border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, when their march to Delhi was thwarted by security forces.