SKM slams Punjab CM over crackdown on farmers a day ahead of Chandigarh protest

New Delhi: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Tuesday slammed the Punjab government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann after several farmer leaders were detained or put under house arrest in early morning raids at their residences by the state police a day ahead of their planned protest in Chandigarh.

In a statement, the SKM said they had a meeting with Mann on Monday. However, instead of listening to the farmers and their demands, the chief minister asked them to call off the protest, it said.

Though the SKM leaders explained the importance of the protracted mass protest against the Union government for farmers' rights, the chief minister got provoked and quit the meeting, it said.

Condemning the action, the SKM appealed to the farmers across Punjab to join the week-long protests at Chandigarh and organise widespread campaigns in the villages.

"The SKM strongly protests against the dictatorial step by the Bhagwant Singh Mann government of Punjab to suppress the democratic rights of farmers for peaceful protest. Instead of putting pressure on the Union government to resolve the ongoing genuine struggle of farmers by convening discussions with all the farmer organisations that are on the struggle path, adhering to the disgraceful path of unleashing police at midnight in the houses to suppress and threaten the farmers' leaders is politically wrong and highly unfortunate," it said.

The umbrella body of farmers' organisations that led the 2020-21 protests at the Delhi borders demanded that the farmer leaders in police custody, including the octogenarian Balbir Singh Rajewal, should be released immediately.

"Respect the citizens' right to peaceful protest and support the genuine and long-pending demands of the farmers. Chief Minister Mann shall realise that treating political protest by various sections of the people as criminal acts fails the constitutional spirit of India and converts the time-tested democracy in our country into a mere police raj," the SKM said.

They said the chief minister was personally present at a discussion with a 40-member SKM delegation at Chandigarh on Monday and the farmer leaders congratulated him for the repeal resolution adopted in the state Assembly against the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing.

They added that instead of being patient to listening and supporting the farmers on their long pending demands of minimum support price (MSP) at C2+50 per cent with legally guaranteed procurement and comprehensive loan waiver among others, the chief minister just demanded to defer the protest action planned at Chandigarh for March 5.

"Though the farmers' leaders explained the importance of the protracted mass protest against the Union government to achieve their genuine rights, the chief minister -- without any reason, got provoked and just stopped the discussion and quit the meeting," they said.

The SKM said the Punjab Police started raiding houses of farmers leaders across Punjab since Monday night and took several leaders into custody, including octogenarian Rajewal.

Other farmer leaders in the custody include Ruldu Singh Mansa, Jangveer Singh Chouhan, Gurmeet Singh Bhatiwal, Nachhttar Singh Jaiton, Veerpal Singh Dhillon, Binder Singh Golewal, Gurnam Bhikhi and Harmesh Singh Dhesi, they said.

Police raids have also been carried on in the houses of prominent farmer leaders including Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Raminder Singh Patiala, Buta Singh Burjgill, Harinder Singh Lokhowal, Satnam Singh Ajnala, Gurmeet Singh Mehma and Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala, they added.

"The repressive attitude and arrogance displayed by the state government is highly condemnable and it is not expected from an elected government that respects democracy. The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right of the citizens and the authoritarian attitude of the state government of not allowing protests will never be tolerated by the people of Punjab which has the glorious legacy of Jallianwala Bagh martyrs, Ghadar revolutionaries and Bhagat Singh," they said.

"The SKM strongly condemns such undesirable acts of cowardice and spinelessness by the Bhagwant Singh Mann Government. The SKM appeals to the farmers across Punjab to join the week-long protest action at Chandigarh and organise widespread campaigns in the villages to expose the fearful and anti-farmer police actions against the farmer leaders in Punjab by the Bhagwant Singh Mann government," they added.