Farmers Detained as Bhagwant Mann Rejects ‘Dharna State’ Ahead of Chandigarh Chalo Protest
Chandigarh, March 04, 2025 – Punjab is on edge as a bitter clash unfolds between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and farmer unions ahead of the ‘Chandigarh Chalo’ protest set for March 5. The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), representing 37 farmer groups, planned a massive march to press for demands like implementing the Swaminathan Commission report. But tensions boiled over after Mann walked out of a meeting with SKM leaders on Monday, followed by midnight police raids detaining several farmers.
Mann confirmed he left the talks when farmers insisted on protesting. “I won’t let Punjab become a ‘dharna’ state,” he told reporters, warning against road and rail blockades. “Every ‘rail roko’ or ‘sadak roko’ costs Punjab dearly. I urged them to call off the strike, but they chose morcha over talks—so I canceled the meeting.” He stressed that while he’s open to dialogue, disruptions won’t be tolerated.
ALSO READ | Supreme Court Says ‘Miyan-Tiyan’ and ‘Pakistani’ Remarks in Poor Taste, Not a Crime
Hours later, Punjab Police swooped in, raiding homes across the state. Gurmeet Singh Mehma, a Krantikari Kisan Union leader, said in a viral video that he was picked up from Ferozepur at 3 a.m. under “preventive arrest.” BKU (Rajewal) vice president Mukesh Chander Sharma added that his house was raided at 4 a.m., forcing many farmers to go underground. The crackdown has fueled outrage, with SKM condemning it as an attack on their rights.
AAP’s Malwinder Kang defended Mann, saying he listened patiently before leaving for a doctor’s visit. “The police acted on their own to maintain order,” Kang told India Today TV. “Our doors remain open for talks.” But farmer leaders disagree, accusing Mann of dodging their pleas for MSP guarantees and debt relief.
The ‘Chandigarh Chalo’ call echoes the 2020-21 farmer protests against repealed farm laws. With Mann’s government and the BJP-led Centre under fire, this standoff risks escalating. Punjab’s economy, already strained by past agitations, faces more uncertainty as the March 5 showdown looms.
