Mohali, March 18 — Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested key farm union leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, in Mohali near Bestech Mall while heading towards the Shambhu border. Dallewal, who has been on a
hunger strike since November, is likely to be hospitalised.
The crackdown has triggered sharp criticism from political leaders, who accused the AAP-led Punjab government of betraying
farmers.
Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira slammed the arrests as undemocratic, calling it an act of political oppression.
He accused the AAP government of acting as a puppet of the BJP-led Union government, saying, “By muzzling farmers' voices, the Mann government has exposed its anti-farmer and dictatorial mindset.”
Former CM Charanjit Singh Channi also condemned the arrests, alleging that the Punjab government was following BJP’s directives.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring called the move a betrayal of farmers and a diversion from the recent Patiala police brutality incident.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa termed the arrests a “cowardly act,” accusing CM Bhagwant Mann of backstabbing the farming community.
“Punjabis will never forgive Mann for this shameful betrayal. It has never happened in Punjab’s history that leaders were called for a meeting and then arrested. This is against our tradition,” Bajwa said.
Farmers have started gathering at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders in protest, while a heavy police deployment remains in place.