Don’t stop farmers at Shambhu border, allow peaceful protest: Punjab CM

The Centre should hold talks with farmers; the Centre should resolve their grievances pertaining to the Indo-US trade deal, says Mann

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday slammed the BJP government after farmers marching towards Delhi were stopped at the Shambhu border, saying they should be allowed to “protest peacefully” in a democracy.

Mann asked the government to invite farmers for talks to resolve their grievances. (HT File)

“The farmers are opposed to the proposed Indo-US trade deal. I want to tell the Haryana government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to not stop farmers,” he told reporters after a cabinet meeting here. Mann asked the government to invite farmers for talks to resolve their grievances.

“The farmers should not have been stopped at the Shambhu border by authorities in Haryana. Why repeat the same things which we have seen in the past,” Mann said, referring to previous prolonged protests by the farmers at the Shambhu border.

“In a democracy, they should be allowed to peacefully protest,” Mann said. “The Centre should hold talks with farmers. The Centre should resolve their grievances pertaining to the Indo-US trade deal.”