The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab has found itself in a fix over the hypocritical stance on farmers’ protest. While it supported the farmers’ protest on Delhi-Punjab, Delhi-Haryana borders that were aimed against the Centre’s now-scrapped three farm laws, it launched a controversial midnight Police action against the agitating Punjab farmers. Now, it is facing public scrutiny and heat for its brute crackdown on farmers, especially in the backdrop of Kejriwal’s increased interference in Punjab politics and desperate maneuvering to secure a Rajya Sabha berth at the earliest.
A large section of netizens and political analysts have slammed Kejriwal for his ‘duplicitous’ stand. Slamming Kejriwal, they have highlighted how the Kejriwal led Delhi government provoked farmers against the centre, providing them with more than basic logistical apparatus during the Delhi siege. However, when it came for the AAP government to address pressing concerns of the farming community, it ended up using brute force. Now, speculations are rife that Kejriwal’s ulterior motive of securing a Rajya Sabha berth could be the main reason behind the yesterday night crackdown on agitating Punjab farmers. Incidentally, rebel AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal too has highlighted the same.
Taking to X, Maliwal lashed out at Kejriwal for committing late night atrocities on farmers. She has argued that the Police action was not to clear roads, rather it was aimed at pleasing the business community in the adjacent city of Ludhiana. According to her, if sitting AAP Rajya Sabha MP wins bypoll elections from Ludhiana West, in the next election cycle, it could give room for Kejriwal.
She further called out Kejriwal for not breaking deadlock through discussion, instead adopting a dictatorial path which displays his anger and spirit of revenge.
In her post, written in Hindi, Swati Maliwal wrote, “The purpose of the atrocities committed on the farmers late at night is not to open the highway, but to open the way for Kejriwal ji to Rajya Sabha! Kejriwal ji feels that by doing this, the businessmen of Ludhiana will be happy, he will win the election and Arora ji’s Rajya Sabha seat will be vacant.”
She added, “When the farmers were sitting in Delhi, elections were also about to take place in Punjab. At that time, to appease the farmers, Kejriwal had called himself a sevadaar. Now when the farmers are sitting in Punjab, Kejriwal has tried to end the agitation not through talks but through force. Why such a double standard? Adopting such a dictatorial path instead of dialogue is another example of Kejriwal’s anger and spirit of revenge.”
किसानों पर देर रात हुए अत्याचार का मक़सद Highway खुलवाना नहीं, केजरीवाल जी के लिए राज्यसभा का रास्ता खोलने का है! केजरीवाल जी को लगता है ऐसा करने से लुधियाना का व्यापारी खुश होगा, चुनाव जीतेंगे और अरोड़ा जी की राज्यसभा सीट ख़ाली होगी।
जब किसान दिल्ली बैठे थे तब पंजाब में चुनाव… pic.twitter.com/zPKFpxg0Um
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) March 20, 2025
Details of late night Police crackdown on agitating Punjab farmers
Late on Wednesday, Punjab Police forcibly cleared protest sites at Shambhu and Khanauri borders. It used bulldozers to raze barricades, remove vehicles, and temporary structures that had blocked the highways for over a year.
#WATCH | Punjab | Police remove farmers from Punjab-Haryana Khanauri Border who were sitting on a protest over various demands.
Amid massive police deployment – farmers were evicted, temporary structures erected by them were removed, and several farmers were detained. (19/03) pic.twitter.com/XoYQ52PqVw
— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2025
In Mohali, the police also detained several farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal while they were on their way to the Shambhu protest site. They were coming to the protest site after meeting the central delegation led by Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Despite mounting criticism, Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema defended the brutal crackdown on farmers arguing that the prolonged closure of the two highways had severely impacted industries and businesses.
During the Delhi siege, AAP had provoked farmers despite growing concerns of its economic impact. However, in a shocking u-turn, it has now cited losses to Punjab’s economy and trade as the reason which prompted them to act against road closures.
Addressing a presser, Former Delhi CM Atishi Marlena too defended the brutal midnight crackdown citing economic losses.
She said, “Farmers had been sitting at the Shambhu border for the past year, leading to the closure of highways, which severely impacted Punjab’s economy and trade. This, in turn, affected employment, pushing youth towards drugs…”
Delhi: AAP leader and Leader of Opposition Atishi Marlena says, “The Aam Aadmi Party has always stood with farmers. When the BJP passed the three black laws, AAP supported farmers in their struggle for every demand. However, farmers had been sitting at the Shambhu border for the… pic.twitter.com/FXMFzRp9Nm
— IANS (@ians_india) March 20, 2025
Meanwhile, BJP leader and Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu came down heavily on the AAP’s Punjab government. He condemned the detention of farmer leaders and accused the AAP government of trying to “sabotage” the ongoing talks between the Centre and farmers.
Nonetheless, the agitating farmers, led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, had camped at the Shambhu (Shambhu-Ambala) and Khanauri (Sangrur-Jind) border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after their Delhi march was blocked by security forces. Legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops have been the main demand of the protesting farmers.
