Heavy machinery, including JCBs, is being used to clear the Shambhu-Ambala and Sangrur-Jind roads, which have remained closed for over a year. Punjab Police are also dismantling temporary structures at the border points to restore traffic movement.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced fresh protests outside deputy commissioners’ offices in Punjab. Several farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, were detained in Mohali after their meeting with central ministers.
The meeting with the Centre’s delegation, led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, focused on the demand for a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP). Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema defended the police action, stating that prolonged highway closures have severely impacted the state's economy.
Cheema urged farmers to direct their protests at the central government rather than disrupting trade and industry in Punjab. Farmer leaders have condemned the crackdown, accusing the Punjab government of acting under pressure from the Centre.
Thousands of farmers, including women, are expected to take part in fresh demonstrations against the police action. Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, on an indefinite fast since November 2023, was taken to hospital for medical attention.
