Farmers suspend ‘Delhi Chalo’ march for 2 days, will decide next course of action on Friday evening

Chandigarh, February 21

Farmers leaders on Wednesday put the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on hold for two days after a protester was killed and 12 police personnel injured in clashes at Khanauri, one of the two protest sites on the Punjab-Haryana border.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told reporters at Shambhu that they would decide the next course of action on Friday evening.

Punjab farmers at Khanauri and Shambhu had resumed their agitation early in the morning after a two-day lull following the fourth round of talks on Sunday night with a panel of three Union ministers in an attempt to break the deadlock.

Thousands of farmers will remain camped at the two border points during the pause in the agitation over their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver.

Farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa identified the dead farmer as Subhkaran Singh (21), a resident of Baloke village in Punjab’s Bathinda district.

Patiala-based Rajindra Hospital’s medical superintendent HS Rekhi told reporters that three people, one of them dead, were brought to the hospital from Khanauri. The deceased had an injury to his head and the other two are stable, Rekhi said.

Farmers would review the situation that developed at Khanauri where a young farmer died in a clash with Haryana police personnel, Pandher said.

“We will discuss the whole issue and the next decision will be announced on Friday evening,” Pandher said.

A Haryana Police officer said 12 police personnel were injured when they were attacked with lathis and stones were thrown.