Is Punjab Becoming a Police State? Dhami and Gargaj Strongly Oppose Farmer Arrests

Amritsar, March 19 -

The crackdown on protesting farmers in Punjab has sparked strong opposition from various quarters. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami and Sri Akal Takht Sahib’s Acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj have slammed the Punjab government and police for deceiving and arresting farmer leaders. They have demanded the immediate release of detained farmers and an apology from the government.

Advocate Dhami strongly condemned the arrests, calling them an insult to the nation’s farmers who have been fighting for their rights for a long time. He questioned whether "the government is so afraid of farmers that it cannot even face them in a discussion?" He further insisted that the government should release all arrested farmer leaders immediately and accept their demands to prevent further escalation of the protests.

Punjab Becoming a Police State? - Jathedar Gargaj
Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj of Sri Akal Takht Sahib also expressed serious concerns over the Punjab government’s oppressive actions against protesting farmers. He warned that Punjab was slipping into a police state, which is a grave threat to democracy.

Quoting Gurbani, he emphasized that farmers work hard to feed their families and society, yet they are now being treated as criminals. He criticized the government, saying, "The same parties that once supported farmers’ protests are now suppressing them with police force."

Police Instead of Judiciary? Punjab Faces a Major Question
Jathedar Gargaj raised a serious question: "When India has a democratic and constitutional system, why is the police acting as the judiciary?" He pointed out that in Punjab’s history, whenever the police were given unchecked power, innocent people suffered.

Comparing the current situation to the extra-judicial killings of Sikh youth in the 1980s and 90s, Gargaj warned that similar police excesses were happening again. He said that today, fake police encounters and brutal crackdowns on peaceful protests are once again becoming a reality.

He also highlighted the recent incident where Punjab Police assaulted an Army Colonel and his family. After pressure from former and serving military officers, action was taken against the guilty police officers, but the same kind of unchecked police brutality is now being inflicted on farmers.

Government Must Rethink Its Actions
Both Dhami and Gargaj emphasized that if the Punjab government continues using police force instead of dialogue, it will have severe consequences for democracy and public trust. They urged the government to immediately release arrested farmers and resolve issues through discussions rather than suppression.