Amritsar (Punjab) [India], March 4: Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Tuesday criticized Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, accusing him of targeting the farmers’ movement for the third consecutive time.
Pandher’s remarks came after protesting farmers claimed that CM Mann became “angry” and “provoked” them during a meeting in Chandigarh. According to Pandher, senior leaders from nearly 35 unions of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) in Punjab were either detained or placed under house arrest since the previous night.
“This is the third time in a row that Bhagwant Mann has targeted our movement. He (CM Mann) is the reason Punjab is in this situation,” Pandher told ANI, expressing his frustration with the government’s handling of the protests.
On Monday, CM Bhagwant Mann had convened a meeting with the farmers to urge them to end their protest at the Khanauri border in the Sangrur district, which had been ongoing for several days. The farmers had planned to continue the protest on March 5. However, during the meeting, CM Mann allegedly grew angry and left abruptly after a disagreement over the continuation of the protest.
Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal described the Chief Minister’s behavior as unusually irate, stating that he had never witnessed such an outburst, even in high-level negotiations. Rajewal said that while the meeting had been progressing well, agreements had been reached on several issues until CM Mann raised concerns about the protest continuing. When the farmers insisted on proceeding, Mann reportedly became angry, stating, “Do whatever you want to do,” and walked out of the meeting.
Rajewal added, “I have had negotiations at the Prime Minister level but have never seen a leader so angry. We will come to Chandigarh (on 5 March).”
Earlier on Tuesday, CM Mann explained his decision to cancel the meeting, attributing it to the farmers’ insistence on continuing the protest despite ongoing talks. He also expressed concern over the economic losses caused by frequent protests, such as “rail roko” and “sadak roko” movements, which disrupt the state’s economy.
“Every day you hold ‘rail roko’, ‘sadak roko’ protests, causing immense losses to Punjab. The state is becoming a state of ‘dharna,'” Mann remarked. He further warned that while he was not afraid to take action, he must consider the interests of all citizens, as the custodian of Punjab’s 3.5 crore people.
“I told them I am not afraid to take action. But if you tell me that the protest will continue along with the meeting, I will cancel it,” Mann said.
The meeting was initially part of the central government’s outreach to the farmers, which included a previous meeting with Union Ministers on February 22. The Ministers had assured the farmers that their concerns would be reviewed, with further discussions scheduled for March 19.