KURUKSHETRA (Hry): Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni was detained by police in this Haryana district on Monday while he was headed to Delhi for a farmers' "mahapanchayat" against the proposed Indo-US trade deal, triggering protests at several places.
A spokesperson of the outfit, Prince Waraich, said Charuni's vehicle was intercepted by police on National Highway-152D, near Pehowa.
"He was taken into custody. Later, he was escorted away by police officials," Waraich said.
Station House Officer (SHO), Sadar, Pehowa, Satish Kumar confirmed that Charuni was detained but refused to specify the reason for the same.
The "kisan mahapanchayat" is scheduled to be held in Delhi on Tuesday.
Waraich claimed that BKU spokesperson Rakesh Bains has also been detained by police and that both farmer leaders are being kept separately.
A group of farmers from Charuni's outfit blocked the Shambhu toll plaza near Ambala, affecting vehicular traffic for a while.
Police detained some BKU (Charuni) members in Ambala after they blocked the toll plaza.
Police have tightened security at the Shambhu border point between Haryana and Punjab.
Waraich said the "kisan mahapanchayat" is being organised in Delhi on the call of the "Desh Bachao Morcha".
A daylong protest will also be held at Kisan Ghat.
Waraich claimed that the Haryana Police is detaining a large number of BKU members in an attempt to stop them from participating in the protest.
Farmers from several places in Punjab are also going to take part in the "mahapanchayat".
Soon after the news of Charuni's detention spread, farmers gathered at the toll plaza on the Hisar-Chandigarh stretch of the national highway in Thana village and launched a sit-in.
They raised slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre, spread mats on the road and sat on those, while police remained deployed to monitor the situation.
In Punjab, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers from several states, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, will reach the national capital to participate in Tuesday's rally.
Farmer organisations have been protesting against the proposed India-US trade agreement and have announced a gathering in Delhi on July 21.
Representatives from several states, including Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, are expected to participate in the event.
The BKU organised district-level motorcycle rallies on July 15 and submitted memoranda addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposing the proposed trade deal.
Allowing cheaper agricultural imports into India, the India-US trade deal agreement, farmers said, would adversely affect them, agricultural labourers, livestock rearers, small traders and the country's agricultural economy.
Pandher claimed that the proposed agreement will not be limited to a few commodities but may encompass agriculture, dairy, industry, digital trade, e-commerce, government procurement, intellectual property rights and the services sector.
Demanding the Centre's immediate intervention, farmers have urged it to abandon the proposed trade pact and safeguard their interests as well as that of the common people.
Waraich alleged that the proposed trade deal would severely impact Indian agriculture and threaten the livelihood of farmers.
Charuni had recently claimed that if the agreement comes into force, agricultural products from the United States could enter the Indian market, without New Delhi having the freedom to impose protective tariffs, putting domestic farmers at a severe disadvantage.
He had said several farmer organisations from across the country have united to oppose the proposed deal and formed the "Desh Bachao Morcha".
