Farmers, police clash near Chandigarh border over march to Governor’s house

Tear gas shells were lobbed and water cannons used on Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) protesters, near the Chandigarh-Mohali border today afternoon after the police stopped them from moving toward Lok Bhavan, the Governor’s house in Chandigarh, to submit a memorandum about the lingering issues of Punjab.

The confrontation escalated when a few youths tried to force their way through the barricades on tractors after which tear gas shells and water cannons were used. Around 24 farmers were reportedly detained by the Chandigarh Police and several injured.

Irate farmers’ leaders, including Balbir Singh Rajewal and Joginder Singh Ugrahan, announced to burn effigies of Governor and the BJP across Punjab tomorrow. SKM leaders announced a meeting of all union members on May 21 and chart the next course of action against the BJP.

The protesters announced that they would hold a sit-in at the site till all the detained protesters were not released. The farmers were demanding that the issue of river waters should be resolved according to the riparian rights. That is, the state through which the river flows should have the first right, they said. They demanded Sections 78, 79 and 80 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, should be repealed. These sections place the control of waters of Punjab with the Centre, they claimed. They demanded that the Dam Safety Act, 2021, and Water Amendment Act, 2024, should be repealed, claiming that this Act takes away the water rights of the states.

The Central Government should cancel the decision to enter into an “anti-agriculture free trade agreement with America”, they further demanded.

They also alleged that the Centre was trying to end Punjab’s permanent membership in the BBMB through amendments to the board’s rules.

UT SSP Kanwardeep Kaur reached the spot and tried to negotiate with farmers after the incident, but they refused to engage in talks.