Farmers March to Delhi Against India-US Trade Deal: BKU Chief Detained

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other states began marching to Delhi on Tuesday morning, according to UNI. They aim to attend a mahapanchayat at Kisan Ghat against the proposed India-US trade deal.

The protesters implemented a shift in strategy. They travelled in buses and private vehicles instead of tractors. Large convoys departed from Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab from as early as 5 am on Tuesday (July 21).

"We have nothing but a flag and a stick. We will keep moving forward. If the government tries to stop us, we are prepared for that too," a farmer told Times Now from inside one of the buses.

Crackdown At Shambhu Border

Haryana Police sealed the Shambhu border overnight. Officers barricaded the Ghaggar bridge connecting the two states to halt the march.

Police detained BKU (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni. Officers intercepted his vehicle on National Highway-152D near Pehowa on Monday evening. Pehowa SHO Satish Kumar confirmed the action but refused to give reasons. BKU spokesperson Prince Waraich confirmed the development, adding that police also held BKU spokesperson Rakesh Bains and are keeping both leaders in separate locations.

Angry farmers blocked the Shambhu toll plaza near Ambala, disrupting vehicular traffic before police detained some BKU members at the spot. They subsequently spread mats on the road and launched a sit-in protest, raising slogans against the BJP-led Centre, at a toll plaza in Thana village on the Hisar-Chandigarh highway.

"They have certain demands concerning Delhi, and in this regard, they had blocked the route from Amritsar to Delhi; traffic flow has now been restored... The situation will be handled as it unfolds. We have made full arrangements to maintain law and order..." Ambala DSP Jagbir Singh told ANI.

Fears Over Trade Pact

The Desh Bachao Morcha organised the mahapanchayat. The umbrella body drew representatives from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

"This is not just about one state or one crop. This fight is for every farmer, every agricultural labourer and every small trader in this country," Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told UNI, adding that farmers from Himachal Pradesh would also reach Delhi to participate.

Farmers fear the proposed India-US trade deal will flood domestic markets. They believe cheap American agricultural products will arrive without New Delhi retaining the freedom to impose protective tariffs.

The BKU previously held motorcycle rallies on July 15. The group submitted memoranda to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Charuni had warned the deal extends to dairy, industry, digital trade, e-commerce, government procurement, intellectual property rights and the services sector.

Farmers have demanded that the Centre immediately abandon the proposed trade pact and safeguard the interests of farmers, agricultural labourers, livestock rearers and small traders across the country.