Preventive arrests foil farmers’ protest for stricter anti-sacrilege law

Patiala: Tension gripped parts of Punjab on Tuesday after police detained several farmers and union leaders heading to Samana in Patiala district to participate in a protest demanding stricter anti-sacrilege legislation.According to farmers, preventive detentions were carried out at multiple locations, including the Dharedi Jatta toll plaza in Patiala and Bhawanigarh in Sangrur district.
Gurdeep Singh Chahal, press secretary, BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur), said activists from Sangrur, Faridkot, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Mohali were either picked up from their homes or detained en route to the protest site. A minor scuffle broke out in Samana when some protesters attempted to block a main road, prompting police intervention. However, the protesters managed to hold a sit-in at Baba Banda Singh Bahadar Chowk. In Sangrur district, more than 100 leaders and members affiliated with BKU Sidhupur and allied organisations were reportedly held at checkpoints, including Bhawanigarh and Sullar Gharat. Patiala SSP Varun Sharma said protesters turned violent, but police did not resort to lathi charge. "We detained some protesters but no lathicharge was done on any protestor. Negotiations with the protestors are going on". Sangrur SSP SS Chahal confirmed that more than 100 farmers were detained. The protest gathering was organised following a call by Beadabi Morcha coordinator Gurpreet Singh mobilising support for the agitation led by Gurjeet Singh Khalsa. The 43-year-old resident of Kheri Nagaian village has been staging a protest atop a nearly 400-foot BSNL tower in Samana since Oct 12, 2024. Khalsa is demanding the enactment of stringent laws to prevent sacrilege of holy scriptures across all faiths. Farmer leaders argue that existing legal provisions are insufficient. Some protesters have warned of intensified actions, including gherao of police stations, if their demands are not met. The Sarv Dharam Beadabi Rokko Kanoon Morcha, spearheaded by Khalsa, last year held discussions with senior state leaders, including Punjab assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann had earlier, in June last year, expressed intent to bring a bill addressing sacrilege concerns.