In Punjab, the Indian police has detained and arrested hundreds of farmers and destroyed protest camps near the Haryana border, putting an end to an year long protest for guaranteed crop prices. The police reported that the clearance happened on Wednesday night without any resistance, with farmers voluntarily getting on buses after being given prior notice. Bulldozers were brought in to tear down tents and stages, and media outlets reported that key leaders, including Jagjit Singh Dallewal, were arrested, with Dallewal being hospitalized after a long hunger strike.
Since February 2023, the farmers have been camping out after being stopped from marching to New Delhi to protest for more government crop support. A police official claimed there was cooperation, but farmer representatives denied this, saying this move went against and contradicted the ongoing negotiations with the government. “Arresting leaders during discussions only undermines the dialogue,” said Rakesh Tikait of the Bhartiya Kisan Union.
Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which approved the eviction of the farmers, has expressed its support for the farmers' demands but is urging them to direct their grievances to the federal government, due to the economic disruption from blocked highways being too much. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has accused the AAP of stalling discussions, by saying federal officials were talking to the farmers hours before their eviction.