On 1 Mar, INC members of the Panjab assembly disrupted Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s address on the opening day of the budget session over farmer issues. As soon as the governor began delivering his address, Panjab INC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring demanded homage be paid to Shubhkaran Singh, who died after Haryana Police action at Khanauri border on 21 Feb. Leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said that Haryana has sealed its borders with Panjab. ‘You have not been able to protect your farmers.’ The INC members questioned the zero First Information Report registered against unnamed police personnel. Since the protest has been unable to move beyond Panjab this time, unlike the 2020-21 protest which fanned anti-BJP sentiment, this time social media hounds BJP and AAP in the state. This has also adversely affected the BJP-SAD seat-sharing talks for the General Elections. On 26 Feb, Hindu group Aggarwal Kisan Mazdoor Ekta Zindabad reached the protest site near the Khanauri interstate border with a crew of mechanics that replaced the damaged tires and spare parts on the spot in response to those saying the protest was mostly by Sikh farmers. Their banner carried the images of the late Deep Sidhu and Sidhu Moose Wala. On 25 Feb, as Haryana farmers faced passport and Visa cancellation, CM Manohar Lal Khattar faced sloganeering at a public event at Rohtak. With barricades on Interstate borders, due to disruption in road connectivity with the rest of India, a major fuel crisis looms large in Panjab. Meanwhile, on 14 March, as planned, the SKM is going ahead with their Mahapanchayat (large gathering) at Ram Lila Maidan, Delhi. 400 unions across the nation have confirmed participation.
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