Farmers booked for clash during police raids, decry ‘attempt to scuttle Sept 22 protest’

Around 500 farmers, including women, marched in Longowal and alleged that while on the one hand police harassed farmers in the name of raids and injured five persons, on the other they were booking the farmers

A day after clashes between police and farmers over alleged raids conducted in villages of Sangrur region ahead of a protest planned by the farmers for September 22 in Patiala, the police on Wednesday booked three women by name along with around 40 male and female followers on charges of attempt to murder the station house officer (SHO) of Longowal and another policeman. However, farmers too showed their strength and came out on the streets of Longowal from across the district and other parts of the state.

Farmers march in Longowal on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

Around 500 farmers, including women, marched in Longowal and alleged that while on the one hand police harassed farmers in the name of raids and injured five persons, on the other they were booking the farmers. “The government fears the protest of farmers and has thus imposed section 144 (prohibitory orders against assembly of people) to kill the movement. The Capt Amarinder Singh-led government should fulfil its debt waiver promise,” said Amrik Singh, district president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), adding, “Even the Longowal SHO, Vijay Kumar, should be booked for he attacked farmers and harassed women and children.”

The clashes on Tuesday came amid arrest of farmers across the state in view of the proposed five-day protest by seven farmer organisations to begin from outside the CM’s house in Patiala from September 22. Stick-wielding cops raided residences of farmers in Longowal on Tuesday, and the people too pelted the police with stones in turn. While five farmers, including two women, were injured in the lathicharge, SHO Vijay Kumar and a policeman identified as Hardev Singh suffered injuries too.