Punjab: SKM, Ugrahan group refuse talks with govt; March 26 stir postponed

In a video message, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan says there is no guarantee that those invited for talks with the state government won’t be arrested

A day after receiving an invite from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for talks, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) on Friday refused to participate in the meeting, citing the police action against the protesting farmers.

Vehicles on the national highway 52 at Khanauri after the protesters were evicted. (HT photo)

The farmer bodies slammed the state government for police action against farmers and sought the creation of a conducive environment for talks. They also demanded release of the detained protesters. The SKM that held a meeting here also announced to postpone its proposed march to the Punjab assembly on March 26.

The two farmer bodies were invited by the Punjab government for a meeting with agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian in Chandigarh on Friday after the SKM gave a call for a march to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on March 26, the day the state government is slated to present its budget estimates for the 2025-26 financial year in the assembly.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan was the first to announce his decision not to participate in the meeting convened by the agriculture minister, citing the detention of hundreds of farmers and the alleged confiscation of their tractor-trolleys at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. Another faction, SKM (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, had led the protest at the two protest sites since February 2024.

Ugrahan also denounced the circumstances in which the protesting farmer leaders were detained after their meeting with the representative of the central and state governments. “What is the guarantee that those invited for the talks will not be arrested later,” Ugrahan asked in a video message.

“In an atmosphere where farmers are being detained after false assurances, and their belongings are being confiscated, participation in any meeting is untenable. We want matters resolved through dialogue, but the chief minister must not evade discussions. The release of the detained farmers and the return of their confiscated property are preconditions for any meaningful engagement,” he added.

The move follows a series of detentions on March 19 at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders with Haryana shortly after a meeting with a central team, led by agriculture minister Shivraj Chouhan.