BKU (Sidhupur) blocks NH-7 near Rampura in Bathinda, demand FIR against Haryana cops

The protest site is located near Balloh, the native place of the 21-year-old farmer Shubh Karan Singh who died in police action at Khanauri last Wednesday.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) activists blocked the Patiala-Bathinda road (NH-7) for the second consecutive day on Tuesday causing inconvenience to the commuters.

BKU (sidhupur) activists sitting on protests on NH-7. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)

The Ekta-Sidhupur faction has been at the forefront of the stir at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February 13 and the activists blocked the highway near Maur Chowk flyover in Bathinda’a Rampura town demanding registration of FIR against Haryana officials for the death of Shubh Karan Singh. The protest site is located near Balloh, the native place of the 21-year-old farmer who died in police action at Khanauri last Wednesday.

BKU state general secretary Kaka Singh Kotra said the blockade would be lifted only if a first information report (FIR) is lodged against the Haryana government officials.

Shubh was killed in the clash with the Haryana police in Khanauri last Wednesday when some protesters tried to head towards the barricades erected by security personnel.

“Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) continues to garner strength at the Shambhu and Khanauri. The Punjab government has failed to fulfil the promise of lodging an FIR against Haryana authorities. Following a prevailing sentiment, an indefinite sit-in was started at Rampura. Further course action at three protest sites will be decided on February 29,” said Kotra on Tuesday.

Scores of villagers including women have been squatting on the NH-7 since yesterday.