In a major development, farmers en route to Gurdaspur to protest against the Aam Aadmi Party Rally in Gurdaspur were stopped by the Punjab Police. As a result, Punjab Police and protesting farmers clashed in Hoshiarpur on Saturday. On Friday, farmers were sitting on dharna at the Jalandhar-Pathankot National Highway in front of a sugar mill in Mukerian to demand sugarcane price hike to Rs 400 per quintal and compensation for the damaged crop. As per reports, a minor had also erupted on Friday between the Police and Farmers. However, ultimately, the Punjab Police at night the police had opened one side of the Jalandhar-Pathankot National Highway, after which traffic was flowing from one side.
Thereafter, on Saturday, a clash between farmers and Police erupted in Mukerian of Hoshiarpur. The police had to use force and therefore, they detained more than 12 farmers. The farmers were going to protest against Arvind Kejriwal's rally in Gurdaspur, but the police did not allow them to go. After which the atmosphere deteriorated.
Punjab farmers and sugarcane price controversy
Bhagwant Mann government after meeting with farmer union leaders agreed to hike sugarcane price in Chandigarh. The farmers in return accepted that they wont block National Highways and the Railways. Following that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann hiked the sugarcane price by Rs 11 per quintal, saying the new rate of Rs 391 a quintal is the highest in the country.
The hike is Rs 3 more than what was recommended by the Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University. The farmers unions who had been demanding a Rs 70 per quintal increase, however, rejected the hike as “too little” and warned that they will again be forced to protest if the government does not effect the price rise “as promised”.