At the Shambhu and Khanauri borders in Punjab, a dramatic operation saw over 13 months of protests being dismantled by the Punjab police. Armed with bulldozers, the camps were razed and around 800 farmers detained, including noted leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.
This operation is part of a broader strategy to reopen roads that have been blocked for months. Approximately 2,000 police officers are stationed in the area to ensure order, with movement restrictions firmly in place. Communication blackouts include internet service suspensions, notably affecting Khanauri’s surroundings, and farmer leader Dallewal was hospitalized in Jalandhar due to his hunger strike.
Source: aajtak
The Punjab government's decisive shift on March 19 reflected a toughened stance, coinciding with the seventh round of talks in Chandigarh between the central government, Punjab authorities, and farmer organizations. Unexpectedly, Punjab moved to detain key leaders like Dallewal, Pandher, Abhimanyu Kohar, and Kaka Singh Kotda, disrupting the protest sites well before the next negotiation round scheduled for May 4.
Source: aajtak
The reopening of the Shambhu border after a long closure marks a strategic move as protestors were displaced, and police reclaimed control, notably demolishing the makeshift shelters erected by farmers over the past year. With leaders Pandher and Dallewal initially detained, police cleared the Shambhu and Khanauri barriers through coordinated operations, lasting several hours.
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Alongside detentions exceeding 800, nighttime saw Haryana authorities removing barricades previously set on the Haryana-Punjab border using bulldozers. Efforts to impede farmer movement involved cement barriers, which were subsequently dismantled.
Source: aajtak
The commitment of the Mann government to act after a year-long hiatus prompted widespread operations against temporary encampments. Utilizing multiple bulldozers, the government dismantled farmer structures at multiple border points in a continuous series of actions that caught many by surprise, with no forewarning or notices issued prior.
Source: aajtak
Dallewal's arrest marked a climactic point amid skirmishes between police and farmers. Attempting to halt the arrest, protestors engaged in extended confrontations until Dallewal was eventually detained and removed from the site. Parallel actions at Khanauri saw a relatively smoother execution, with around 4,000 officers ensuring the area's clearance, anticipating three days of police presence to stabilize the situation. Allegations echo that business interests propelled this decisive highway reopening action by Punjab police.
Source: aajtak
Political narratives unfold in response, adversarial parties collectively critiquing the AAP administration, with BJP asserting pre-emptive measures against possible successful talks with the central government. Nevertheless, AAP maintains their initiative adheres to fostering state progress by alleviating highway disruptions.
