Farmers Converge at Shambhu Border to Challenge US-India Trade Pact

The mobilization follows an earlier standoff at the Shambhu Toll Plaza, triggered by the arrest of Bharat Kisan Union leader Gurnam Singh Charuni. While local authorities, led by Ambala Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagbir Singh, managed to clear the resulting traffic congestion and restore movement, the underlying tension remains high.

Government officials have attempted to mitigate the backlash. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains committed to protecting farmers' interests within any international trade framework. Echoing this sentiment, BJP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal advocated for a collaborative approach to address the protesters' grievances, though the scale of the march suggests that skepticism toward federal assurances persists.