Farmers' 'Dilli Chalo' march: Talks held in Rajpura as tensions rise at Punjab-Haryana border

Rajpura (Punjab) [India], December 8 (ANI): Punjab and Haryana police officials held a meeting with farmer leaders in Rajpura on Sunday to discuss issues related to the ongoing farmers' protest. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher was also present during the discussions.
DIG Patiala, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, said, "A very detailed discussion took place with the farmers...The talks happened in a positive atmosphere and future rounds of talks will also take place with the farmers."
Ambala DC Parth Gupta mentioned, "We held a meeting with the farm leaders...Efforts are being made to find a solution."
Meanwhile, SSP Patiala, Nanak Singh, said, "The meeting happened in a very positive atmosphere...Various officials were present at the meeting. These kinds of meetings will continue..."
The discussions were part of ongoing efforts to address the concerns of farmers. The "jatha," a contingent of 101 farmers participating in the 'Dilli Chalo' march on Sunday, was called off following escalating tensions and injuries among the protesters. Farmer leaders confirmed that the decision to withdraw the group was made after several farmers were injured, with one in serious condition and admitted to PGI.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher stated that the situation would be reassessed in a meeting scheduled for tomorrow, with further updates to be provided at a press conference. Despite the government's efforts to prevent the march, including restricting media coverage, the farmers remain determined to continue their agitation.
Pandher announced the decision to call off the 'jatha' marching towards Delhi, saying, "Today we have decided to withdraw the 'jatha'. The agitation will continue today. One farmer has been admitted to PGI and is in serious condition, and 8-9 farmers are injured, so we have withdrawn the 'jatha'. After the meeting, we will tell you about the future program."
According to sources, the injured farmers include Resham Singh, Dilbagh Singh, Mehr Singh, Karnail Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Kulwinder Singh. Four of them are in serious condition, and one has been referred to PGI for further treatment.
Pandher added that the group had attempted to march towards Delhi, but the government made every effort to stop them. "The Modi government has the most powerful means and resources in the world to spread false propaganda and misinformation. The government does not seem to have any intention of resolving this issue through dialogue with us," he said.
Pandher stated that both farmer groups would meet to assess the situation and plan their next steps. "After the decision is made, we will share the information through a press conference," he said.
Meanwhile, at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border, DSP Shahabad Ramkumar said, "The team has been deployed here since morning... We gave clear instructions that we will check their (farmers') identity and permission and only then will we allow them to move forward... They disagreed... we want them to maintain peace and enter after taking permission."
Haryana Police deployed tear gas at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border to disperse farmers. A verbal altercation ensued between the police and the protesting farmers, with drone footage showing police blocking the farmers at the border. (ANI)