The police on Saturday detained around 250 farmers before they could march to Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan’s residence in his native village, Sandhwan.The detained farmers, affiliated with Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur), a constituent of the non-political Samyukt Kisan Morcha, were taken to nearby police stations.The action came after union leaders had warned of launching an indefinite road and rail blockade (chakka jam) across the region to press their demands, which include a complete waiver of farm loans, return of blank security cheques held as collateral by cooperative land mortgage banks and financial compensation along with government jobs for the families of farmers who died during earlier agitations. Farmer leaders said they also intended to confront the Speaker over the state government’s land pooling policy, alleging that it threatened farmers’ landholdings and livelihoods.The police also dismantled tents and barricades erected by protesters at the demonstration site. Heavy security deployment remained in place through the day, though key transit routes in the district were kept open.Farmer leader Inderjit Singh Ghania said the agitation would continue until the farmers’ demands were met, listing debt relief and withdrawal of the land pooling policy among the core issues. He alleged that instead of engaging with farmers, the government was using the police to suppress dissent.Faridkot Superintendent of Police Narinder Singh said the farmers had been taken into custody as a preventive measure to control the law-and-order situation.