Police remove farmers protesting outside PSPCL office in Patiala

Arrest farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was on an indefinite fast; work resumes at power corporation office after five days

Five days since farmers laid siege to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) headquarters in Patiala, police on Tuesday resorted to mild lathicharge to evict them from the gates and arrested their leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was on an indefinite fast in support of their demands.

Members of the Punjab Cordination Committee of Powercom and Transco Contractual Workers block Fountain Chowk during a protest against the state government in support of their demands, in Patiala on Tuesday. (ANI)

Employees resumed work at the PSPCL office after the team, led by inspector general of police Mukhwinder Singh Chhina and senior superintendent of police Varun Sharma, cleared the protest site around 6 am.

“The site has been cleared and police have been deployed at all entry and exit gates of PSPCL,” said the IG. He said farmers can’t cause inconvenience to the industry, general public and commercial ventures over their demands. He said the administration has finalised places for protests, and no one will be allowed to sit outside the PSPCL.

Earlier, the SSP and the duty magistrate met Dallewal but he refused to lift the dharna. The police action began around 3.30 am. SSP Sharma said the farmer leaders were taken to a hospital as they were on hunger strike and needed medical attention.

The farmers, who blocked the gates of the PSPCL headquarters on Thursday, were protesting against the delay in providing new tubewell connections and releasing pending ones.

The dharna had disrupted the working of the PSPCL during crucial paddy-sowing season.

Dallewal has been admitted to a hospital. He said the police tried to crush their protest by using force, but they will escalate the stir. The police reportedly lodged an FIR on the complaint of PSPCL officers for taking 24 employees hostage on Thursday, when farmers locked the entry and exit gates.

Local residents, particularly members of the market association, welcomed police action. Shopkeepers said farmers had blocked the main road and this hit their business for four days.

Following police action, former MP and SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra met Dallewal and other farmers, who were at the hospital. He said the Shiromani Akali Dal strongly condemns the use of force against farmers.

Local MP Preneet Kaur also crictised the police for using force against farmers. “Highly condemn brutal police action by the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government on peacefully-protesting farmers in Patiala. The high handedness and lack of empathy shown to our elderly farmers is shameful,” she tweeted.

Meanwhile, some farmers blocked the Patiala-Chandigarh road for some time to protest against the police action against farmers.