Sit-ins lifted, SKM to now gherao MLAs on Mar 10

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday decided to withdraw all ongoing dharnas in Punjab and said its activists would gherao ruling party MLAs across the state on March 10. Harinder Singh Lakhowal, president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal), announced this following a meeting of the union wherein “a detailed plan of action has been outlined”.

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“Farmers will stage dharnas outside the residences of ruling party MLAs from 11 am to 3 pm on March 10 to express their resentment with the government,” Lakhowal stated.

Additionally, they will gather in Chandigarh on March 15 to protest outside the Chief Minister’s residence. “We are prepared to engage in a debate regarding our demands and will invite CM Bhagwant Mann to participate in it on March 15. If he is unavailable on that date, we are open to rescheduling the debate as per his convenience,” the BKU leader said.

Lakhowal expressed disappointment over the recent meeting between farmer leaders and the CM, which failed to produce any meaningful outcome. He also condemned the arrests and detentions of farmers across the state.

He emphasised that while the farmers’ earlier struggle was against the Centre, they were now compelled to confront their own state government, which had refused to address even their basic demands. He alleged that CM Mann behaved inappropriately during the recent meeting, leaving the farmers with no choice but to take to the streets in protest.

Meanwhile, 29 leaders of various constituents of the SKM, who were detained ahead of the Chandigarh march, were released from a jail in Malerkotla on Thursday.