Farm body protests in Bathinda, demands action against cops

Bathinda: Stopped twice from reaching Bathinda to hold protests for the release of two of its activists, the farm body BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), supported by over 40 farmer, labour, and employee organisations, held a protest march here on Friday and demanded action against the police personnel accused of taking on the agitating farmers at Jeond village on Feb 18.Two activists, Charanjit Singh from Mari village and Parneet Singh from Jeond, who had suffered injuries in the police action also participated in the protest. Charanjit had suffered multiple fractures to his right leg and was brought to the protest site on a stretcher. Praneet had suffered a fracture to his right hand.
Sitting on a wheelchair, Charanjit said the overwhelming support he received from the masses after being victimised motivated him to keep the flag of protests up and pursue the cause with more determination.The representatives from various supporting organisations accused the Aam Aadmi Party govt and the Bathinda district police of using repressive ways to deal with the protesting farmers. They demanded stern action against the police officials responsible for causing injuries to both the activists.They also asked the state govt to lift the unannounced emergency on holding protests and control the worsening law and order situation, or else the govt would have to face the ire of the growing protesting force.Most of the farm groups, which participated in the over one year-long protests against the farm laws at the borders of Delhi in 2020-21, joined hands to collectively take on the state govt. The representatives also assailed the central govt for including the agriculture sector in the trade deal with the US.BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, who used to make claims that he would run the govt from the common places of the villages, was now blindly following the pro-corporate policies of the Narendra Modi-led central govt. In order to please the corporates, Mann is taking on the struggling classes, which will not be tolerated at any cost, and he must remember that in a few months he and his party members will have to reach the masses in villages, and then the people will ask them questions about the oppression let loose on the protesters, said Ugrahan.The protesters also took out a protest march in the town, raising slogans against the state govt and the district police. MSID:: 129156990 413 |