Protesting farm labourers clash with police in Mohali

The incident took place in the afternoon, when the protesting farm labourers began raising anti-government slogans on being stopped by the Mohali police

Protesters marching towards Punjab Vidhan Sabha, under the banner of Samyukt Mazdoor Morcha clashed with police force near the Amb Sahib gurdwara after being stopped from entering Chandigarh.

Protesters clashing with police forces near Amb Sahib gurdwara in Mohali on Friday. (HT Photo)

The incident took place in the afternoon, when the protesting farm labourers began raising anti-government slogans on being stopped by the police. With stick-wielding protesters looking to break past the police barricading, cops resorted to mild lathi-charge. A few protesters suffered minor injuries.

The labour unions later ended the protest following the assurance after a meeting with a panel of ministers on March 29.

Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union state president Zora Singh Nasrali said the demands included annual employment guarantee at ₹700 per day, loan waiver, distribution of land, leasing out one-third of panchayat lands to labourers at cheaper rates, giving 10 marla plots each to the homeless and the needy, increasing old age widows and disabled pensions, stopping atrocities on Dalits.

It has been a year since the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government came into power, but none of their demands have been accepted, Nasrali added.

Highlighting the AAP government’s failure to invite suggestions from farm workers while formulating the new agricultural policy, he said the discrimination was what forced the union to launch a protest against the government.

Speaking of the incident, deputy superintendent of police (DSP, city- 2) Harsimran Singh denied reports of police resorting to lathicharge, adding that some resistance was shown by the cops when the labourers tried to break the security cordon.