Chandigarh, July 22: Aam Aadmi Party Punjab Media In-Charge Baltej Pannu demanded the immediate reopening of the Shambhu border, urging authorities to allow farmers to proceed to Delhi peacefully to present their concerns regarding proposed international trade agreements. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, the party official maintained that blocking agricultural workers violates their fundamental rights to peaceful assembly.
The demand comes as agricultural groups express growing apprehension regarding proposed trade agreements with the United States, which the party asserts could result in low-cost cotton imports that undercut domestic Minimum Support Price rates. AAP representatives declared that flooding local markets with cheap foreign produce threatens to create severe economic strain for Punjab’s cotton growers and agricultural workers.
Beyond agricultural grievances, the party criticized security measures deployed against student demonstrators at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Official statements noted that students demonstrating peacefully for weeks were met with excessive police action, leading to multiple injuries and hospitalizations. AAP reiterated its commitment to providing full legal and medical assistance to all affected families.
The party maintained that suppressing constitutional rights through physical barriers and police action fails to resolve core public grievances, urging the central administration to initiate direct dialogue with both student and farmer delegations.
“These farmers are not carrying weapons or posing any threat to the nation’s capital. They only want to place their concerns before the Government. Every citizen has the constitutional right to protest peacefully,” declared Baltej Pannu during the briefing.
AAP officials affirmed that the party will continue advocating for open dialogue and democratic expression across all public platforms.
