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Chandigarh: Several farmers and their leaders were detained by the Punjab Police at multiple places across the state on Friday ahead of a two-hour statewide ‘Rail Roko’ protest called in support of their various demands, including withdrawal of the Centre’s draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
At many locations, farmers were taken into preventive custody before they could reach the railway tracks to block train services. However, most of them were released later in the day, after the protest concluded, issued by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), which announced a symbolic halt across 19 districts of Punjab. The farmers’ outfit described the proposed power amendment bill as “anti-farmer”, alleging that it would lead to the privatisation and centralisation of the country’s power sector, affecting farmers’ access to affordable electricity.
Protests Thwarted at Several Places
Police action largely prevented farmers from reaching railway tracks at many locations. However, at a few places, protesters managed to squat on the tracks briefly. In Ferozepur district, a minor scuffle broke out when police tried to disperse a group of farmers who had gathered on the railway track to stage a protest. The situation was later brought under control, with no serious injuries reported. Farmers also staged demonstrations at several locations in Amritsar district, where they raised slogans against the proposed electricity bill and reiterated their demand for its rollback.
Brief Track Blockage in Hoshiarpur
In Hoshiarpur district, a group of farmers managed to evade police vigil and reached the railway track under a railway flyover on the Jalandhar–Jammu section in the afternoon. They sat on the track for nearly 10 minutes before police arrived and dispersed them. Similarly, another group of protesters attempted to move towards the Jalandhar railway station, but the police had already set up heavy barricades, preventing them from approaching it.
The farmers’ organisations have strongly opposed the Centre’s draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, claiming that it would weaken farmers’ rights over agricultural power supply, encourage corporatisation of the electricity sector, and undermine state control over power distribution. The protest was also aimed at highlighting other unresolved farm-related issues, including assured minimum support price (MSP), rising input costs, and pending compensation matters.
Police Maintain Law and Order
Senior police officials said adequate deployment had been made across sensitive railway locations to ensure law and order and to prevent disruption of essential services. The situation remained largely peaceful across the state despite brief tensions at a few spots. Train services, according to officials, were not significantly affected due to timely police intervention.
