Mohali, March 21 2025- The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), which has a strong base in south Punjab, will not attend the Punjab government’s meeting in Chandigarh on Friday, citing the detention of hundreds of farmers and the alleged confiscation of their tractor-trolleys at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders.
BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan announced the boycott in a video shared on social media, condemning the state’s actions. “In an atmosphere where farmers are being detained after false assurances and their belongings are being confiscated, participation in any meeting is untenable,” Ugrahan said.
The move follows mass detentions on March 19 at the Haryana-Punjab borders, shortly after a meeting with a central team led by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan. Farmer leaders who protested outside deputy commissioners’ offices across Punjab on Thursday were also detained, with some jailed and others released later.
Ugrahan criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for walking out of a previous meeting on March 3, stressing the need for continued dialogue. “We want matters resolved through discussion, but the chief minister must not evade talks. The release of detained farmers and the return of their seized property are preconditions for any meaningful engagement,” he added.
Meanwhile, BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) has submitted a programme for a protest scheduled on March 26, demanding a designated site for the demonstration.
According to a letter from Punjab’s agriculture director, Friday’s meeting, set for 4 pm at Punjab Bhawan, will be chaired by Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) were invited, though neither group participated in the recent protests at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders.
Those demonstrations were led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
