Police block Punjab farmers at Shambhu border

Hundreds of farmers from Punjab were stopped by police at the Shambhu border with Haryana on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as they attempted to travel to Delhi for a planned protest against a proposed trade agreement between India and the United States. Authorities erected barricades and cement blocks on the bridge over the Ghaggar river, deploying heavy police forces and water cannons to prevent the convoy from proceeding.

The farmers, traveling in buses, were headed to a day-long "Kisan Mahapanchayat" organized at Delhi's Kisan Ghat under the banner of the Desh Bachao Morcha. The group had spent Monday night at Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib before departing Tuesday morning and being halted at the border. Farmer leaders reported that participants from several states, including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, were also stopped at other border points, including Khanauri, Shahabad, and Karnal. At least four farmers were detained by Delhi Police at the Singhu border.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher criticized the Haryana government for blocking their path, stating the protest was intended to be peaceful and questioning the need for such restrictions. He also demanded the...