Farmers' unions have extended support to ongoing protests at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders in Punjab, announcing a rail roko (stop trains) protest in the state on Thursday. The protests, supported by major unions including Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner faction), demand a minimum support price (MSP) for crops and condemn the use of violence against farmers.
Approximately 10 protest sites have been identified for the rail roko protest, affecting railway tracks in Punjab. Locations such as Rajpura, Sunam, Jethuke village, Moga, Mansa, Malaut, and Valla railway crossing have been chosen, disrupting several rail routes. The protests are expected to impact the Amritsar-Jalandhar-Delhi, Mansa-Bathinda-Delhi, and Ludhiana-Ferozepur lines, among others.
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On the same day, three Union ministers are set to hold the third round of talks with farmers' leaders in Chandigarh. The stand-off between protesters and police at the Punjab-Haryana border continues for the third day, marked by clashes. Despite earlier inconclusive meetings, the discussions aim to address farmers' concerns.
At the Shambhu border near Ambala, clashes between security personnel and protesters persisted, with reports of tear gas and stone-pelting. A similar situation was observed at the Data Singhwala-Khanauri border in Haryana's Jind district. The protests have led to traffic disruptions at the Singhu border in Delhi, causing inconvenience to commuters.
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