The Delhi border was sealed in Haryana on Tuesday to prevent farm leaders from reaching the national capital to attend a 'mahapanchayat' at Kisan Ghat against the proposed India-US trade agreement. A day earlier, the Haryana Police launched a preventive crackdown and detained several prominent farm leaders across the state.
Among those detained was Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni, who, along with his supporters, was stopped in Pehowa in Kurukshetra district while on his way to Delhi. It is not the first time that Charuni has faced such action. Over the past several years, he has remained at the forefront of farmers' protests and has often been detained during agitations.
Charuni emerged as one of the most prominent farmer leaders from Haryana during the 2020-21 farmers' movement against the three central farm laws. As a key member of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), he played an active role in organising protests, tractor rallies and negotiations with the Centre. His speeches and leadership helped mobilise a considerable number of farmers from Haryana, Punjab and other states. The year-long agitation eventually led to the repeal of the three farm laws in November 2021.
After the farmers' movement, Charuni entered electoral politics. In December 2021, he floated the Sanyukt Sangharsh Party (SSP) with the aim of giving political representation to farmers and rural communities. The party contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections but failed to make an electoral impact.
Ahead of the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, Charuni sought an alliance with the Congress and reportedly demanded 10 seats for his party. However, the talks failed. He then contested the Pehowa Assembly seat in Kurukshetra district, which has a sizable Sikh population. Charuni secured only 1,170 votes, finished fifth and lost his security deposit.
Earlier, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Charuni had extended unconditional support to INLD leader and Kurukshetra candidate Abhay Singh Chautala. Explaining his decision, Charuni said Abhay Chautala had stood firmly with the farmers during the 2020–21 agitation and had resigned as an MLA in support of their cause.
Chaduni has been a vocal critic of the BJP, especially over its farm policies and the way it dealt with the farmers' protests. On several occasions, he appealed to people not to vote for the BJP, alleging that the party's policies were against the interests of farmers.