Punjab LoP slams Saini government for using "excessive force" against "peaceful" farmers' march

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], December 6 (ANI): Punjab Opposition Leader and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa lashed out at the Haryana government on Friday for using tear gas and excessive force against farmers marching "peacefully" towards Delhi.
Bajwa called the actions of the Haryana police "undemocratic" and "barbaric," underlining that several farmers were injured in the process.
He also condemned the "tyrant" Haryana government's stance, accusing it of trying to stifle the peaceful protest, following the example of the previous government.
He via a post on X said, "Firing tear gas shells and using excessive police force against the peacefully marching farmers of Punjab is a highly undemocratic move of the @BJP4Haryana govt. Several farmers have been injured in this barbaric action of the Haryana police."
The Punjab LoP added, "Following the footsteps of the previous Mohan Lal Khattar govt, the tyrant Haryana govt led by @NayabSainiBJP has been bent on stifling the peaceful march."
"The Haryana goverment must understand that the farmers are not protesting in their state. They are using Haryana as a route to reach out to Delhi. Why has the Haryana government been perturbed by the same?" he questioned.
Earlier in the day, farmer leaders called off their 'Dilli Chalo' protest march for the day after several farmers were reportedly injured in tear gas shelling by police at the Shambu border.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the 'Jatha,' a group of 101 farmers participating in the 'Dilli Chalo' march, was recalled after six farmers were injured when Haryana Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border.
Pandher had announced that the 'Jatha' (a contingent of 101 farmers) participating in the 'Delhi Chalo March' had been called off after six farmers were injured when Haryana Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd at the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu border.
Pandher clarified, "We have called off the 'Jatha,' not the march to Delhi. Six farmers have been injured." Speaking at the Shambhu border, he said, "They (police) will not let us go to Delhi. Farmer leaders have been injured; we will hold a meeting to decide the future strategy."
The protest aims to press for several demands, including compensation and a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Heavy police presence was observed at the Haryana-Punjab border, where 101 farmers were stopped. Drone footage showed barricades set up by the police. A police officer at the border said, "The farmers do not have permission to enter Haryana. The Ambala administration has imposed Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS)."
Earlier, Pandher had said, "We should be allowed to march towards Delhi peacefully, or the authorities should engage with us regarding our demands. The doors for talks are open from the farmers' side. If the government wants to talk, they should show us a letter from the central government or the Chief Minister's office in Haryana or Punjab. We want the central government to accept our demands, provide us with a place to protest in Delhi, and restore internet services in Ambala."
In response to the protests, the Haryana government ordered an internet shutdown in ten villages in Ambala from December 6 to 9, citing the need to prevent the spread of misinformation via social media. The affected villages include Dangdehri, Lohgarh, Manakpur, and Saddopur. However, essential services such as banking and mobile recharges will remain operational.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary invited the farmers for talks. "Doors are open for the farmers to come and have a dialogue regarding their issues. I am also their brother, and if they want to come, the doors are open. If they want us to go to them, we will go and have a dialogue," he said.
The protest is being led by the Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP) in collaboration with other farmer groups. (ANI)