Congress leaders, led by state party chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, held a protest on Monday against the Punjab Government’s land pooling policy, calling the so-called “voluntary contribution” a trick to forcibly take farmers’ land.

The protest took place outside the office of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), the body overseeing the project in Mohali, where 6,000 acres of land is expected to be acquired.Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and former Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu joined Warring at the protest. With this dharna, Congress has kicked off a statewide campaign opposing the policy.

The party submitted a memorandum to the GMADA administrator, demanding an immediate rollback, saying the move would be harmful for both the environment and Punjab’s economy.Warring called the policy a “trap to snatch land from farmers,” while Bajwa claimed that the government’s claim of voluntary participation was a “lie.” He alleged that the policy included hidden clauses that allow for forced land acquisition.“So far, only 35 acres have been consented to out of 6,000 in Mohali. Farmers are not interested. Yet, the government plans to acquire 65,000 acres across Punjab,” Bajwa said.

Sidhu accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of surrendering to AAP’s Delhi leadership. “He’s given up his powers to please his bosses in Delhi. In doing so, he has betrayed farmers and others—soldiers, youth, and employees,” said Sidhu.Other Congress leaders present included Ravinder Dalwi, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Sandeep Sandhu, Gurkirat Kotli, Kaka Randeep Nabha, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Jasbir Dimpa, Harminder Gill, and Kuljeet Nagra.