In a late-night operation on Wednesday, Punjab Police forcefully cleared the Shambhu and Khanauri protest sites, detaining numerous farmers and reopening the highways. Authorities cut electricity and slowed internet services before carrying out the operation. Addressing the protesters, DIG Patiala Range Mandeep Singh Sidhu warned that the police outnumbered them and urged them to board buses voluntarily. Reports indicate that both sites have now been completely emptied, with temporary structures dismantled and vehicles removed. The police claimed that the farmers cooperated and left without resistance, though many were detained.

Earlier in the day, prominent farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal were detained en route from Chandigarh to the Shambhu border. Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike since November, is reportedly in critical condition and may require hospitalization. The crackdown followed a reported meeting between AAP officials and industrialists, where business leaders expressed concerns over the economic impact of prolonged protests. The Tribune cited this meeting as the turning point in the decision to dismantle the protest camps. Security forces also clashed with farmers in Mohali before detaining several protest leaders.

For months, farmers had been camping at the Punjab-Haryana borders after being stopped from marching to Delhi with their demands. Senior police officials justified the operation by stating that duty magistrates were present and protesters were given ample warning. However, the abrupt detentions and the removal of protesters under heavy police presence have sparked criticism from farmer unions and rights groups, who view the move as an attempt to suppress their demands without meaningful dialogue. The situation remains tense, with ongoing reactions from farm unions and opposition parties.