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Farm union activists clash with police across Malwa
The agrarian body, hartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), has been seeking the release of its two leaders, who are in judicial custody for assaulting a DSP last year
Activists of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) clashed with police in Bathinda, Barnala and Sangrur districts after the authorities barricaded the roads at various locations to prevent them from reaching Bathinda city to hold a protest outside the district administrative complex (DAC). The farm union is demanding the release of two of its leaders, Baldev Singh and Shagandeep Singh, currently in judicial custody for allegedly assaulting DSP Rahul Bhardwaj last year. The BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) is one of the state’s most influential agrarian bodies.
Vehicular traffic on the national highway number 7 (Fazilka-Zirakpur) was disrupted for over five hours on Friday. Police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob of protesters near Jeond village in the evening.
Deputy commissioner Rajesh Dhiman said no one sustained injuries in the police action. Union senior vice-president Jhanda Singh said that as many as 53 farmers were detained during protests, while another farmer leader, who didn’t wish to be named, said over 500 union members have been detained by the cops.
“A few protesters were taken into preventive custody to maintain law and order, and the detainees would be released soon,” DC Dhiman added.
Bathinda SSP Jyoti Yadav said that the police action was initiated after a mob showed aggression against the police personnel.
“District authorities were seriously engaged in talks with the BKU leadership on their demands. But the union backtracked on the promise and tried to mobilise protesters towards Bathinda. Police took action to maintain law and order,” she added.
After tear gas shelling, protesters boarded their vehicles and traffic movement on the NH was restored. However, police continue to man the sensitive areas.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated in the Malwa belt as BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) members clashed with cops at Tapa in Barnala district, while police cane-charged farmers near Mehlan chowk in Sangrur. The clash in Tapa occurred when farmers attempted to force their way through multi-layered police barricades.
Tapa DSP Gurpreet Singh said that around 59 were rounded up and nearly 100 members of the BKU have been detained in Barnala district. The union activists then proceeded to block the Bathinda-Barnala national highway in Tapa.
The crackdown extended into neighbouring Sangrur, where the authorities had taken about 250 farmers into preventive custody. Situation at Mehlan Chowk of Sangrur turned violent when farmers were cane-charged by Sangrur police while they were trying to move ahead.
The union leadership is demanding the release of two of its leaders, Baldev Singh and Shagandeep Singh currently in judicial custody for the last 10 months for allegedly assaulting DSP, Rahul Bhardwaj, on January 20 last year at Jeond village. A case of attempt to murder and abduction was registered against 11 union leaders, including president Joginder Singh Ugrahan.
The farmers’ union is demanding revocation of the murder bid case and release of both accused from jail. Bail applications of both accused were dismissed by a Bathinda court and subsequently by high court last year. The duo has again applied for a regular bail, and the matter will come up for hearing on February 18.
