Jind/Patiala/Bathinda: Haryana Police blocked the way of 51 Punjab farmers at the Khanauri-Datasinghwala border on Sunday as they sought to begin a 228-km foot march to Delhi, while several protesters, including farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, were detained in Jind after at tempting to move towards the national capital.The march, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), was scheduled to reach Jantar Mantar on Aug 29. The farmers are primarily protesting the pro posed India-US trade deal and are also pressing for a legal guarantee for minimum support price and release of detained farmer leaders.The Jind district administration cited Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Su raksha Sanhita (BNSS), which prohibits gatherings of more than five people in the district. The Delhi-Patiala National Highway at Datasinghwala was secured with five layers of concrete and iron barricades, while a heavy police contingent and drones were deployed.Jind deputy commissioner Vaishali Sharma and superintendent of police Kuldeep Singh held talks with a five member delegation of farmer leaders, but the meeting ended without a breakthrough.Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said the 51 farmers wanted to proceed peacefully and were not blocking the highway, but were stopped from crossing into Haryana even on foot. He urged the Punjab and Haryana high courts and the Supreme Court to take cognisance of the situation.Several farmers were detained after attempting to move towards Delhi. In a video recorded from police custody, Kohar said the farmers would continue their attempts to march towards the national capital.Before the march, farmers collected soil from the field where young farmer Shubhkaran Singh died during the earlier farmers’ agitation. The soil was placed in an urn to be carried to Delhi.Punjab-side farmers later camped at the Khanauri border, while Haryana Police remained on high alert with personnel from Jind and other districts deployed in the area. Jind SP Kuldeep Singh told TOI that Section 163 was in force in the district and the five-layer barricading had been put up to maintain law and order
