Kumar Bahukhandi
Dallewal was taken into custody by the police. – Photo: Samvad
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been detained by the Punjab Police. Dallewal had attended a meeting with the Centre in Chandigarh on Tuesday Parch 18 , 2025 . The police have detained hundreds of farmers. The police is getting the tents of farmers vacated at Shambhu border.
The meeting between the Central Government and the farmers’ organizations in Chandigarh on Wednesday remained inconclusive. No consensus could be reached on the demand for guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP). At the same time, after the meeting was over, farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Sarwan Singh Pandher and other farmer leaders returning to Khanauri and Shambhu border were taken into custody by Punjab Police. At the same time, the police also uprooted the stage and tents of the farmers on Khanauri and Shambhu border.
During this, there was a scuffle between the farmers and the police, in which the turbans of some farmer leaders fell off. The government has deployed heavy police force on the border. There is a lot of anger among the farmers after the action of the government. Farmers have come out on the streets at different places in the state. All farmer leaders including the opposition have opposed this action of the police.
Earlier, a 28-member delegation of the United Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chauhan, Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Prahlad Joshi, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Cabinet Ministers in the Punjab Government Harpal Cheema and Gurmeet Singh Khuddian attended the meeting. During the meeting, the Union Ministers said that implementing the guarantee of MSP can cause problems, due to which there is a need to take suggestions from all stakeholders on this. The farmers had given a report to the Center regarding the guarantee of MSP, how it can be implemented. Now the Central Government will take suggestions from all stakeholders across the country on this report. Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the Center’s argument is not correct. There will be no problem with the implementation of MSP, rather it will benefit everyone. The Central Government has asked for time, so now after one and a half months, we will meet again on May 4. However, after the detention of farmer leaders, there is doubt on this meeting now.
Barricading has been done to stop the farmers. – Photo: Samvad
Discussion with all ministries on the guarantee of MSP
The meeting which started at 12 am ended at 4 pm. Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Purna Chandra Kishan has been given the responsibility to take suggestions from stakeholders. Also, discussions will be held with all ministries on the guarantee of MSP. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the meeting with the farmers was held in a very good atmosphere. In the last meeting, the farmers had shared a data with the government regarding MSP, through which they are demanding a guarantee of MSP. In the meeting, the Union Ministers said that more study is needed on this. If MSP is implemented, it will be for the people across the country, so suggestions from all the stakeholders of the country are necessary on this. This is the reason why suggestions will be taken from all the farmer organizations across the country, governments of states and union territories and other stakeholders including traders, exporters and food processing industry, for which the Center has sought time.
Water cannon vehicle at Shambhu border – Photo : Samvad
These farmer leaders also arrested
Sukhwinder Kaur General Secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Sukhwinder Kaur has also been arrested by the police. Dilbagh Singh Harigarh of BKU Ekta Azad and Dilbagh Singh Gill of BKMU have also been arrested by the police. After Pandher, farmer leader Balwant Singh Brahmamke, who was handling the Shambhu Morcha, has left the Shambhu Morcha on a motorcycle with someone, covering his face with a shawl.
Many farmers also started leaving the front – Photo: Samvad
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the Centre is of the view that there can be problems with the guarantee of MSP, so the government has asked for time from them. The ministers said that they want to continue the talks with the farmers in future as well, due to which they agreed to give time. Now it remains to be seen what kind of report is presented by the government on the issue of MSP after the suggestions of the stakeholders in the next meeting.
