PHAGWARA: Activists of the Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) Doaba, led by its State President Manjit Singh Rai, on Monday staged a motorcycle march in Phagwara to protest against the Punjab Government’s Land Pooling Policy. The march began from Bhullarai Chowk and witnessed participation from a large number of farmers and supporters, raising slogans against the policy introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state government.
In a show of political solidarity, Congress workers led by Phagwara MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal also joined the protest, riding alongside the BKU activists through the streets of the city. The protesters alleged that the Land Pooling Policy was detrimental to farmers’ interests and would adversely affect agricultural landholders, demanding its immediate withdrawal.
The motorcycle procession made its way through major thoroughfares of Phagwara, attracting the attention of residents and shopkeepers as the participants held placards and shouted slogans denouncing the government’s stance on land reforms. The rally eventually culminated at its point of origin, Bhullarai Chowk, where leaders addressed the gathering, vowing to intensify their agitation if the policy was not rolled back.
Addressing the crowd, BKU (Doaba) president Manjit Singh Rai and General Secretary Satnam Singh Sahni reiterated the farmers’ opposition to what he termed as “anti-farmer” policies, while MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal assured continued political and moral support to the ongoing struggle. The event concluded peacefully but with clear indications from the leaders that further protests would follow if the government did not respond to their demands.