Farmers Face Allegations Amid Ongoing Protest at Shambhu Border

Farmers protesting at Punjab's Shambhu border alleged that traders attempted to create discord at the protest site. The traders denied the accusations, stating they were there to highlight their business losses due to the highway blockade. The protest demands include a legal guarantee for minimum support price and other farmer welfare measures.

Amid escalating tensions, farmers protesting at Punjab's Shambhu border in Patiala district accused a group of traders of attempting to disrupt their demonstration on Sunday. The protesters, led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been demanding various measures including a legal guarantee on minimum support price for crops.

The traders, hailing from Ambala, refuted the allegations, arguing they had visited the site to draw attention to the economic losses they are facing due to the blocked Ambala-Ludhiana national highway. Vishal Batra, chief of the Ambala Wholesale Cloth Merchants' Association, firmly denied the accusations of causing trouble. He maintained that their intention was to request the reopening of the highway to restore their businesses.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, a leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, asserted that nearly 100 individuals sought to seize the stage at the protest site, creating a tense atmosphere. He reiterated that it was the Haryana government, not the farmers, who had blocked the highway to stop the march to Delhi. Pandher also called on the Punjab Police to file an FIR regarding the incident, underscoring their broader demands, which include the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and agricultural laborers, and a farm debt waiver.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)