Farmer leaders detained by Punjab govt ahead of planned demonstration
The Punjab government detained farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and others before a planned protest at Shambhu police station. This move was seen as an attempt to prevent mobilization against the government's repressive tactics. Farmer leaders from Samyukta Kisan Morcha reported early morning detentions aimed at stopping the demonstration against harsh government measures.
According to farmer leaders, multiple members of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM non-political), such as Jagjit Singh Dallewal, were put under house arrest by the Punjab government on Monday before their planned demonstration at the Shambhu police station. A protest was organized in March against the Punjab government for May 6, opposing the government's purported harsh tactics to displace farmers from protest locations at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. The farmer leaders reported that Punjab Police arrived at their residences early in the morning to detain them.
He stated that the police aimed to prevent him from assembling individuals for the protest on Tuesday. According to a farmer leader, Dallewal was put under house arrest at his residence in the Faridkot district at approximately 4 am. Farmer leaders mentioned that numerous other farmer leaders across various districts in the state experienced similar situations. Among those detained are Manjit Rai and Davinder Singh.
The farmers' organization recently declared plans to demonstrate outside the Shambhu police station on Tuesday, accusing the state government of employing harsh tactics to evict them from their protest sites in March, and called for stringent measures against those who looted their possessions following their eviction. Following his detention, Dallewal reportedly posted a video on social media. Dalwal concluded his extended hunger strike in April.