Farmers under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) are heading towards Chandigarh to hold a protest to make a fresh push for their long-standing demands. As a precautionary measure, the Chandigarh police have deployed heavy security and sealed all entry points to the city, advising travelers to avoid these routes.

Besides, the Punjab police have also heightened security at the borders to prevent farmers from entering Chandigarh.  

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Farmers have said they will initiate an indefinite strike if they are stopped by security personnel. 

"We will have programs in around 18 districts. At 21 locations in Amritsar alone, we will burn effigies of Bhagwant Mann. Today's program will be done at hundreds of locations across Punjab. SKM's Punjab Union's leader was detained along with the leadership of Kisan Majdoor Morcha...So, today's program is against the human rights violations of farmers...It will be done peacefully...We demand that all arrested farmers should be released," farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said.   

This came after a meeting between Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and leaders of SKM failed to bear results. The farmer leaders alleged Mann got furious during the discussion and left the meeting in between. They also alleged that several SKM leaders were detained by the police in view of the Chandigarh protest. 

"Bhagwant Mann Government in Punjab left the meeting with farmers. We have seen such a CM for the first time, someone who leaves a meeting with farmers midway...someone who gets the houses of farmer leaders raided, detained them at their houses and detained some others at Polic Stations and got them arrested...Bhagwant Mann Govt is playing into the hands of Centre to violate the human rights of farmers. People will never accept this. We will burn the effigy of Bhagwant Mann. We will demand that farmers be allowed to protest and their demand be met. Our demands are not unlawful...We condemn this govt. Our protest is always peaceful...Bhagwant Mann is instigating people...This is bad," Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Gurbachan Singh Chhaba said. 

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Reacting over the development, CM Mann said that his doors are always open for discussions with farmers, but they should avoid causing inconvenience and distress to the public in the name of agitation. While holding a meeting with farmers, the Chief Minister stated that the government is always ready to resolve issues related to different sections of society through dialogue in order to prevent the common man from facing difficulties due to railway or road blockages.