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Ahead of Chandigarh protest, Punjab Police crack down on farmer leaders
BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan, who evaded arrest, condemns raids, detentions, terming them ‘murder of democracy’.
Hours after their talks with Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann broke down in Chandigarh, Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders said on Tuesday morning that police had raided the houses of several farmer leaders across the state and had detained them ahead of their call for a protest in Chandigarh on March 5.
Apprehending police action, several farmer leaders have gone underground. The SKM has called for a week-long sit-in in Chandigarh from March 5 in support of their demands.
Sangrur-based Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan condemned the police action, terming it “a murder of democracy”.
“They are trying to suppress our rights. About 10 cars reached my house for an investigation in the wee hours. This is a plan by the state government to tarnish our (farmers’) image by falsely accusing us of harassing people. We will sit on the side of roads. If roads are blocked, the police will block them, not us. We will show the country that it is not us blocking the roads, but the police,” he said, reiterating the call to protest in Chandigarh on Wednesday.
Police took several farmer leaders into custody from Barnala and Sangrur districts. They include Jagseer Singh Cheeniwal, the district president of the Bharati Kisan Union (BKU) Qadian, Sikandar Singh Maan, state leader of BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), Jagseer Singh Seera, the block president of BKU (Dakaunda), Master Hardeep Singh Tallewal from the Krantikari Kisan Union, and Manjeet Raj, the district leader of the KKU.
The police also raided the house of Manjeet Singh Dhaner, the state president of the BKU (Dakaunda), though he was not at home and thus not apprehended.
In a related incident in Sangrur, despite the large presence of police at Joginder Singh Ugrahan’s house a key leader of the farmers’ movement, he was not found.
On the talks with chief minister Mann on Tuesday, Ugrahan said the CM even cancelled the demands he agreed to address earlier.
“The pakka morcha in Chandigarh will take place as planned. We have asked for the Sector 34 site for the agitation,” he added.
