Hindustan Times | 24 March 2026
Farmers protest India-US trade deal in Kurukshetra
Scores of farmers from four states gathered at Kurukshetra’s Pipli grain market on Monday to protest against the India-US trade deal.
The Kisan Mazdoor Jan Kranti Rally organised by Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) was attended by farmers from Haryana, Punjab, UP and Uttarakhand, who also observed the Martyrs Day (Shaheed Diwas) at the venue.
Farmers alleged that the trade deal, which took place under the pressure of US president Donald Trump, could prove dangerous for small farmers and shrink the agriculture sector in India.
Union spokesperson Rakesh Bains said that besides the trade deal, the farmers also demanded cancellation of FIRs registered during farmers’ protests in 2020-21, as well as the timely start of crop purchases like mustard and wheat. He said that the government should take strict action against those involved in the paddy procurement scam spanning across Karnal, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and other districts.
Union president Gurnam Singh Charuni, who was scheduled to chair the rally, addressed it online from a hospital in Punjab. Charuni reportedly suffered injuries after falling at his residence on Saturday and is due to undergo surgery. In his virtual address, Charuni claimed that the trade deal was even more dangerous than the three farm laws which were repealed following protests by the farmers from across the country.
He said the Centre has disappointed the farmers, leaving them with no option but to launch another agitation; thus, farmers from the whole country should unite against the deal, which will have a deep impact on the overall economy.
Kurukshetra DC Vishram Kumar Meena also reached the rally site and had a brief meeting with the farmers. Speaking to HT, Meena said the union has been assured of a meeting with the state government on April 2, where they can raise their trade deal-related demands and subsequently meet union government representatives.
