27 held, 150 booked after violence over truck union election in Sangrur; AAP factions clash over president post

Patiala: A dispute over a truck operators' union election in Bhawanigarh, Sangrur, turned violent late Saturday, with protesters blocking the Chandigarh–Bathinda highway and pelting stones at police. By Sunday evening, 27 people had been arrested and around 150 booked. Earlier, three policemen were injured in the stone pelting.The clash followed rival claims over the union presidency. One group, backed by AAP leader Gurmail Singh Ghrachon — who had contested the 2022 Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll — declared Malwinder Singh Mala as president, citing consensus. "Earlier attempts were made to hold elections, but disputes kept emerging between groups. That is why an administrative consensus was reached on Mala," Ghrachon said. Tensions flared when Lovedeep Sharma ‘Kakkra' was being felicitated as the president on Saturday. The opposing faction, supported by AAP Sangrur MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj, had backed Sharma. Tensions escalated when police detained him during the event, triggering a highway blockade. "This is undemocratic, and the police response was excessive. The protestors had pelted stones but the case was registered under attempt to murder charges. I do not justify the clash with police but workers pelted stones only after the police resorted to lathi charge for third time and failed to hold talks," Bharaj said."Protesters pelted stones at vehicles and police, damaging police cars and injuring officers," said DSP Rahul Kaushal. "We appealed repeatedly for a peaceful end to the dharna, but stone-pelting left us no choice but to use force."SSP Sangrur S S Chahal said some "miscreants with covered faces" took advantage of the situation, damaging vehicles and injuring three personnel. He said 27 arrests had been made so far and further action was underway.Chahal added that police used force to detain the accused and clear the highway, and an FIR has been registered under Section 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the National Highways Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.MSID:: 130533702 413 |