Farmers stopped at Punjab-Haryana border en route to Delhi rally against India-U.S. trade deal

Farmers from Punjab under the banner of ‘Desh Bachao Morcha’ (save the country rally) were on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) stopped by the police at Shambhu-Ambala and Khanauri-Jind, the inter-State boundaries between Haryana and Punjab, as they were heading to Delhi to participate in a rally against the proposed India-U.S. trade deal. The farmers later concluded their protest and announced their return after an assurance of their demands to be taken up with the Centre

Farmers attempting to enter Haryana in their vehicles and buses found multi-layer barricades installed by the Haryana Police at the inter-State boundaries. Ambala police has issued a traffic advisory asking people to take alternative roads as the Shambhu-Ambala road has been closed at the inter-State boundary.

Farmers wanted to peacefully go to Delhi and participate in the rally, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Haryana government had stopped them by erecting barricades, Sarwan Singh Pandher, farmer leader and coordinator of the Desh Bachao Morcha, said. “We are ready to talk to the local administration and are in no mood for confrontation,” he said.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, farmer leader and coordinator of the Desh Bachao Morcha, said farmers do not want any confrontation. “Haryana’s Agriculture Minister assured the immediate release of detained farmers and a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Following this, we have concluded our protests at Shambhu and Khanauri,” he said.

“If our concerns continue to be ignored and the agreement is pushed forward, the movement will be intensified,” he added.

Farmers associated with the Desh Bachao Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions from different States of the country, had announced they would hold a rally in New Delhi on July 21. The India-U.S. trade deal is not limited merely to the import and export of a few products, the Desh Bachao Morcha said, adding that the deal may instead cover several crucial sectors, including agriculture, dairy, industry, digital trade, services, intellectual property rights, energy, investment, and market access.

Meanwhile, a key trade body has raised concerns surrounding the economic, industrial and public hardships being caused by the repeated closure of the ‘Shambhu Border’ due to the ongoing farmers’ protest.

President of All Industries and Trade Forum, Badish Jindal in a statement said, the repeated closure of Shambhu Border, which is one of the busiest transportation corridors connecting Punjab with Haryana, Delhi and the rest of India, has forced vehicles to travel long alternative routes, resulting in a substantial increase in transportation costs, fuel consumption and transit time.

“Industries are facing delays in receiving raw materials and dispatching finished goods, leading to cancellation of orders, breach of delivery commitments, increased logistics expenses and loss of competitiveness in domestic and international markets. Punjab is already witnessing industrial migration to neighbouring states because of various challenges. The continued disruption of one of the State’s most important transport corridors further weakens investor confidence and creates an impression that industrial and commercial activities in Punjab are becoming increasingly difficult. We urge the government to ask farmer organisations to shift the venue of the protest to a location where it does not completely block one of North India’s most important transport corridors,” he said.

Farmers associated with the Desh Bachao Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions from different States of the country, had announced they would hold a rally in New Delhi on July 21.

The India-U.S. trade deal is not limited merely to the import and export of a few products, the Desh Bachao Morcha said, adding that the deal may instead cover several crucial sectors, including agriculture, dairy, industry, digital trade, services, intellectual property rights, energy, investment, and market access.