BKU Ugrahan president arrested as Punjab Police cracks down on farmers’ march to Chandigarh

Chandigarh: The Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan to prevent the farmers’ march to Chandigarh, called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).

The arrest was made by Sangrur police after a two-day search, during which Ugrahan had evaded authorities.

The crackdown follows the failure of talks between SKM and the Punjab government on Monday. Since then, the Punjab Police has been detaining farmer leaders across the state to stop the planned protest in Chandigarh from March 5.

Despite the arrests, a large number of farmers are preparing to march to Chandigarh. In response, the Punjab Police has set up barricades at multiple locations, checking vehicles and preventing farmers from advancing.

Strict security measures have also been implemented at the Chandigarh border, where around 2,000 Chandigarh police personnel have been deployed to monitor 12 key entry points.

The SKM had announced a sit-in protest in Chandigarh starting March 5 to push for farmers’ and laborers’ demands.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had held a meeting with farmer representatives on March 3, but the discussions ended without a resolution.