Condemning AAP govt's 'brutal crackdown' on protesting Punjab farmers, PUCL seeks solidarity action against 'tyranny'

By A Representative

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has strongly condemned the "egregious actions" of the Punjab Police, allegedly under the direction of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, against peacefully protesting farmers at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders on March 19, 2025. In a statement released today by its General Secretary, Dr. V. Suresh, the PUCL described the police action, involving arrests and the destruction of protest sites, as a "shameful assault on democratic rights and a betrayal of the agrarian community."

The organization highlighted that the Kisan Andolan at the borders, ongoing since February 13, 2024, has been a "beacon of resistance" with farmers demanding a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), loan waivers, and other crucial reforms. The movement, led by figures like Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, had seen sustained peaceful demonstrations, including Dallewal’s prolonged hunger strike.

PUCL expressed outrage over the events of March 19th, where, following a meeting in Chandigarh, over 3,000 police personnel reportedly dismantled the protest sites using bulldozers and JCBs. The statement claims that farmers were given a mere ten-minute ultimatum before being forcibly detained, with over 450 arrests, including prominent leaders and 13 women.

The organization also raised serious concerns about alleged police high-handedness, the razing of protest infrastructure, and eyewitness accounts of anti-social elements looting the farmers' belongings with alleged police connivance. PUCL termed this an "anti-democratic and shameless move" by the AAP government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, which has "shattered the trust of farmers."

The statement quoted Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema's justification of the action as an economic necessity due to losses to industries, which PUCL dismissed as hollow when weighed against the human cost of detentions and the suppression of a legitimate movement.

PUCL has unequivocally demanded an immediate investigation into police excesses, the release of all detained leaders, and the restoration of dialogue to address the farmers’ demands. The organization emphasized that the farmers' struggle is not merely for economic benefits but a "symbol of democratic assertion" against an unsympathetic state.

PUCL has fully endorsed the following demands of the protesting farmers:

* Restore the dignity and civil liberties of all those arrested.

* File criminal cases against the police and administration and those who committed excesses against the farmers.

* Restore the Dharna site to the farmers as protest is a constitutional right.

* Urge the Government to engage in a dialogue with Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Sarwan Singh Pander, and other farmer leaders.

* The Supreme Court report on the farm laws to be made public.

* Ensure that there is a Legal Guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops.

* Withdrawal of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022, drop proposed electricity reforms, and stop the ongoing installation of smart meters for agricultural connections.

* Demand a Comprehensive Debt Waiver, seeking the complete cancellation of outstanding loans.

* Withdrawal of politically motivated police cases linked to the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence and ensure justice for the victims.

* Reinstate the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and provide compensation to the families of farmers who lost their lives during the 2020-21 agitation.

PUCL concluded by stating that the events of March 19th serve as a "testament to the resilience of the Kisan Andolan and the moral failure of those who chose force over justice," urging solidarity and action against such alleged tyranny.

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