Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government launched a sweeping crackdown on protesting farmers, igniting nationwide outrage.
On March 19, Punjab Police dismantled protest camps at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. They detained several farmer leaders. Temporary structures fell, and tents vanished overnight. The operation aimed to clear blockades since February 2024, when farmers demanded a legal guarantee for minimum support prices (MSP).
Heavy Hand of the Law
Police moved swiftly. Thousands of officers deployed to the borders. They evicted farmers from Shambhu and Khanauri. Reports surfaced of confiscated items—gas cylinders, air conditioners, and personal belongings. Farmer leaders cried theft. “They came unannounced,” one protester told The Hindu. “The government’s action is wrong.” The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha slammed the move. They announced dharnas outside deputy commissioners’ offices in retaliation.
Political Firestorm Erupts
Opposition leaders pounced. Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi accused Mann of colluding with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “Preparations were made in Delhi,” Channi claimed on X, hinting at a coordinated strike. Shiromani Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal called Mann unhinged. “He’s lost his mental balance,” she told Hindustan Times. Farmer leader Satnam Singh Pannu of KMSC went further. “It’s a murder of democratic rights,” he raged to The Times of India. He blamed Mann’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP-led Centre.
Mann’s Defense Stirs Debate
Mann stood firm. Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema backed him. “We want to open the borders,” Cheema told reporters, justifying the crackdown. Mann had walked out of a March 3 meeting with SKM leaders. He later accused farmers of turning Punjab into a “protest state.” “I’m custodian to three crore people,” he said on March 4, per India Today. Critics saw hypocrisy. Mann once mediated between farmers and the Centre. Now, he mirrors their tactics.
Farmers Vow to Fight On
The farmers remain defiant. SKM burned Mann’s effigies on March 5. Protests shifted to AAP MLAs’ homes last week. “Mann misled us,” a farmer told The Indian Express. Haryana began removing its barricades on March 20, easing tensions there. But Punjab’s unrest grows. With leaders detained and promises unfulfilled, the clash tests Mann’s grip on power—and the farmers’ resolve.