In Punjab, the state government launched an eviction drive at the Shambhu and Khanauri checkpoints with Haryana, last evening, removing protesting farmers and dismantling their temporary structures under heavy police deployment. Our Jalandhar correspondent reports that both border points were closed for almost over a year due to the ongoing protests by farmers demanding legal MSP on crops and to get some other demands fulfilled. The closing of the checkpoints was creating a hurdle in the free flow of traffic on the Delhi-Amritsar highway. However, the highway is yet to be opened for the traffic.

The road clearing operation at Khanauri was led by DIG, Patiala Range, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, and Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police, Nanak Singh at Shambhu, who requested protesting farmers sitting at both the checkpoints to leave the area before being detained and transported in buses stationed at the sites. Though police faced some resistance but continued the road clearance drive in the presence of duty magistrates by removing barricades, vehicles, and temporary structures that had blocked the highways for over a year.

The action came after the meeting with farmers convened by the Central Government delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chauhan in the presence of Punjab Ministers at Chandigarh, last evening. Mr Chauhan described the discussions as positive and constructive. However, the meeting remained inconclusive and the next round of negotiations has been scheduled for May 4. After the meeting, farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarabjit Singh Pandher were detained by the police along with some other leaders when they were on their way to the checkpoints.

Though some opposition party leaders described the police action as backstabbing of farmers, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the step was necessitated for the economic growth of the state.