Ludhiana: Farmers’ unions protest President’s award to Haryana police officer

Farmers’ unions protested the Haryana government and the centre for recommendation for presidential award of police officer involved in cracking down on protesting farmers trying to cross into Haryana in February.

Farmers’ unions protested the Haryana government and the centre for recommendation for presidential award of police officer involved in cracking down on protesting farmers trying to cross into Haryana in February.

Members of Bharti Kisan Union Ekta Sidhupur staged a protest outside mini secretariat in Ludhiana on Thursday against proposing name of Haryana Police officers for President Award. (Gurpreet Singh/Hindustan Times)

According to protesting unions, the Bhartiya Janta Party-led central government, and the Haryana government will give President’s Award in the name of the officers who were involved in cracking down on protestors, as they tried to make way to Delhi, which saw the death of Punjabi youth, Shubkaran Singh.

The unions burnt effigies of the government to register their protest.

Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta Sidhupur district president Supinder Singh Baga, said, “In any democratic country, the constitution of that country gives the right to peaceful demonstration for their rights, but the central government the behest at the behest of BJP government of Haryana committed inhuman atrocities on its own citizens at Khanuri and Shambhu border on February 13, 14 and 21, using chemical weapons, seriously injuring countless people and many youths and elders were deprived of his eyesight. Pritpal Singh was put in a sack and subjected to inhuman torture, breaking every bone in his body and Shubkaran Singh was killed by a bullet to the head.”

The farmer leaders further said that it would be the first time in the history of any democratic country that a government attacked innocent unarmed citizens going to the capital of their country to remind the government of their written demands.