Police use tear gas, water cannons to stop farmers at Mohali-Chandigarh border

Chandigarh: Police fired tear gas shells and used water cannons to stop hundreds of Punjab farmers, under the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), from marching into Chandigarh on Friday.The protesters, determined to reach Punjab Raj Bhawan and meet governor Gulab Chand Kataria over a host of demands, clashed with police at the Mataur barrier after being denied entry. As farmers breached barricades and pushed forward, security forces escalated action, dispersing the crowd and detaining several participants as a preventive measure.Earlier in the day, large groups had assembled at YPS Chowk, Mohali, and set out towards Chandigarh. Anticipating the march, police had sealed key routes, especially the stretch towards Sector 50 leading to the governor's residence, with heavy barricading.Despite the cordon, tensions flared when farmers used tractors and iron chains to pull down barricades in an attempt to advance. The standoff soon spiralled, prompting police intervention with force.Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur later reached the spot and engaged with farmer leaders, helping defuse the situation. The protesters eventually submitted a memorandum to a Punjab Raj Bhavan official.Farmers reiterated key demands, including river water distribution based on the riparian principle, scrapping provisions of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, and a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP). They also opposed the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill 2025 and Seed Law 2025, while pressing for restoration of cooperative credit limits and assured power and canal water supply during the paddy season.