Prominent farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher, Abhimanyu Kohar, and Kaka Singh Kotra, who were detained during a police crackdown following their meeting with a central delegation, were released on Friday.
Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher was released from Muktsar Jail, while Abhimanyu Kohar, Kaka Singh Kotra, and several other farmer leaders walked free from Patiala Central Jail, officials confirmed.
In a video statement following his release, Pandher strongly criticized the Punjab Police for its action against protesting farmers, who had been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points for over a year.
Their primary demand was a legal guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
The crackdown took place on March 19 when several farmer leaders were detained while returning from a crucial meeting in Chandigarh with a central delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The discussion focused on the farmers' long-standing demands, particularly the MSP guarantee. However, as the delegation exited Mohali, they were met with heavy police barricading, and several leaders were taken into custody.
Following the detentions, Punjab Police dismantled temporary protest sites at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders and evicted the farmers from their camps.
Vehicular traffic on the Shambhu-Ambala and Sangrur-Jind highways, previously disrupted due to the protests, resumed thereafter.
The protesting farmers have strongly condemned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government for its handling of the situation.
They accused the administration of forcibly removing them from their protest sites, where they had been stationed since February 13 last year after their march to Delhi was blocked by security forces.
Also Read: 800 farmers released, 450 more to be freed: Punjab Police
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