Farmers' protest: Police deny death on Punjab border

One protester was killed as farmers tried to resume their march in the Indian capital after four rounds of talks with the federal government failed to end the deadlock.

The Punjab Health Minister and a hospital official confirmed the 22-year-old's death to the BBC.

The farmers' union had previously claimed that the protester died during police action.

But Haryana Police said that “no farmer died” during the protest.

The farmers – who are demanding guaranteed prices for their crops – clashed with police trying to prevent them from reaching Delhi.

The last time they held a protest in the capital, they took shelter at Delhi borders for months. As a result, officials are trying to prevent a repeat of this, by fortifying the city borders with several layers of barriers and barbed wire.

BBC Punjabi reported that police fired tear gas at demonstrators as they tried to move towards the border. Farmers used masks, gloves and protective suits to protect themselves from the bombing.

The death of farmer Shubh Karan Singh on the Punjab-Haryana border is the first since the protest began on February 13.

His uncle told the BBC that he was from Balon village in the Bathinda district of Punjab, and was the sole breadwinner for his family.

Dr. Harnam Singh Rekhi, medical superintendent at Rajendra Hospital in Patiala, said the cause of death was a bullet wound to the head. He told the BBC that more details would be available after examining the body.

Dr. Balbir Singh, Punjab's health minister, told the BBC that a second boy was also hit by a bullet, but “fortunately survived.” He added that at least 13 people were receiving treatment for injuries in Punjab hospitals.

But Haryana Police's official X account (formerly Twitter) said reports of a farmer's death were “just a rumour” late on Wednesday.

It also accused demonstrators of attacking officers “using sticks and maces in addition to throwing stones,” resulting in 12 people being injured.

The farmers say they will organize a protest sit-in during the next two days.

Earlier, they had warned that they would use heavy machinery to head to Delhi, and scenes from the Shambu border – where many farmers have been located since last week – showed thousands preparing to cross barriers using bulldozers and earthmovers.

Many protesters flew kites to interfere with police work with drones, which were used to drop tear gas bombs on them.

Farm leaders also made repeated declarations of unity, imploring security forces not to attack their “brothers.”

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Arjun Munde called on farmers for a fifth round of talks. “It is important for us to maintain peace,” he wrote on X. Farmers have not yet responded to this call.

The latest round of protests also comes months before general elections in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party is seeking a third term in power. Farmers constitute an influential voting bloc in India, and analysts say that the government will be careful not to anger or alienate them.

Farmer leaders say their march is peaceful and have urged the government to allow them to enter the capital.

Sarwan Singh, a farm leader, said, “We have done our best on our part. We attended meetings and discussed every issue, and now the decision lies with the government. We will remain peaceful, but we should be allowed to remove these barriers and march towards Delhi.” Bander told reporters.

The government has so far held four rounds of meetings with farmer unions. Protesters say the government has not kept promises made during the 2020-2021 protests, and they also have demands including pensions and debt relief.

Farmer leaders on Monday rejected a proposal to buy some crops at guaranteed prices under a five-year contract, saying the offer was “not in their interest.”

The government had proposed purchasing pulses, maize and cotton at guaranteed floor prices – also known as minimum support price – through cooperatives for five years.

But farmers say they will stick to their demand of “legal guarantee of MSP on all 23 crops”.

Meanwhile, police in Haryana have asked their counterparts in Punjab to keep women, children and journalists at least one kilometer away from the border for their safety. They also asked Punjab Police to confiscate bulldozers and other heavy machinery from the protest sites.

In Delhi, security measures were tightened and large gatherings were banned for a month.