Siege at PSPCL HQ: Farmers block highways at several locations in Punjab, many detained

In Mansa, around 36 farmers, who were blocking the Mansa-Bathinda highway, were detained by the cops.

Hours after police removed protesting farmers from outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) headquarters in Patiala, farm unions on Tuesday blocked national highways at multiple locations in seven southern Malwa districts.

Farm leaders being detained in Punjab’s Mansa during protest on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

However, Punjab police detained a large number of farmers and forcefully lifted protests from all the sites. The police on Tuesday resorted to mild lathicharge to evict the farmers from the gates of PSPCL HQ and arrested their leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was on an indefinite fast in support of their demands. The police action began around 3.30am.

In Faridkot, the district police detained 63 farmers, who were blocking National Highway 54 (Amritsar-Bathinda) near Tehna village and started inquest proceedings under Sections 107 and 150 of CrPc at Faridkot Sadar police station.

In Bathinda, more than 50 farmers were detained by police. The farmers had blocked NH-54 at Goniana village and the Bathinda-Dabwali highway at Balluana. BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur) leader Ranjit Singh said that the government is behaving like a dictator as the action was taken on farmers protesting peacefully.