KMSC leaders detained ahead of protest outside Shambu

The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee has accused the state government of trying to stop farmers from reaching Shambu for their protest by using police. The committee said a large number of farmer leaders have either been arrested or detained at their homes.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the KMSC, said, “Many senior leaders, including Manjit Singh Rai, Kaka Singh Kotla and others, have been arrested. Even Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been detained at his home.” He said all this is being done to stop farmers from going to Shambu for their protest scheduled for May 5.

“The question here is why farmers are going to Shambu. We are going there because police force used brute force against peacefully protesting farmers. Their tractor-trolleys, tents and other goods were stolen from the protest site in the presence and connivance of police personnel. We have demanded action against cops who had done this,” said Pandher.

While reiterating that the protest outside the Shambu police station would be held as per the plan, Pandher asked the farming community to participate in it in large numbers. “Even the Mughals and other autocratic rulers had some ethics. But it seems that Punjab Police under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann have no ethics. The police are harassing our women and children by going to our homes,” said KMSC leader Sawinder Singh Chautala.

Chautala said the Punjab Government is working as an agent of corporate houses. It is trying to snatch agriculture land of farmers without paying just compensation which would not be tolerated, he said while pointing out the incidents of Gurdaspur where women farmers were manhandled by police personnel.