Punjab becoming dharna State, CM on walking out of farmers'meet

A fresh tension surfaced in Punjab as the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the farmer unions locked horns right ahead of the 'Chandigarh Chalo' protests organized by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on March 5. The SKM is an umbrella group of 37 farmers' unions. As per reports, the state police detained several protesters in a midnight raid ahead of their planned demonstrations in Chandigarh. The development came a day after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann walked out of a SKM meeting.In a bid to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report, the 'Chandigarh Chalo' protest was called by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU). Moreover, the protest was also supposed to highlight the farmers' ongoing frustration with both the state and central governments.
The talks between the farmer leaders and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann remained inconclusive on March 3.Confirming the incident, Mann told reporters that he walked out of the meeting when SKM leaders mentioned plans to protest from March 5 onwards. "Yes, I left the meeting, and we will detain them as well...Won’t allow farmers to sit on tracks and roads," Mann said. Mann further revealed that he had asked farmers to call off the strikes, stating that the state could not be held to ransom. "I told farmers that every day you hold 'rail roko', 'sadak roko' protest...This is causing immense losses to Punjab. The state is facing economic losses. Punjab is becoming a state of 'dharna'. Don't take my soft-heartedness into thinking that I do not take action," Mann said.