Police stop protesting farmers from heading towards Faridkot

Bathinda: Activists from the farmer forums
Sanyukt Kisan Morcha
(Non-Political) and
Kisan Mazdoor Morcha
(KMM) clashed with police on their way to a venue where Punjab assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and ministers Tarunpreet Singh Sondh, Laljit Singh Bhullar, and Baljit Kaur were in attendence.
The farmers, under a joint call from both forums, assembled in various districts to deliver memorandums seeking compensation for damage to wheat crops due to fires and untimely rains, as well as for items that went missing from protest sites at Shambhu and Khanauri on March 19.
The activists gathered in Faridkot while the speaker and ministers were in town for a programme under the 'Yudh Nashia Virudh' (War Against Drugs) campaign. The activists aimed to reach the venue to deliver their memorandum but were stopped at a distance. When the farmers attempted to proceed, the police used force to stop them and detained several activists. In the ensuing chaos, some farmers opposed the use of force.
Activists claimed that the previous Punjab govt betrayed them by arresting farm leaders after a meeting with central and Punjab ministers and dismantling the morchas on March 19. They argued that farmers suffered due to fires in the fields and untimely rains. The activists added that despite the 'Yudh Nashia Virudh' campaign by the govt, drugs remain available in hotspot areas across districts.
Meanwhile, the assembly Speaker and the ministers resolved to eradicate drug abuse and claimed that the campaign is yielding desired results.
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