Bittu leads protest, faces police wrath
Thursday, 01/10/2015
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/
Bathinda: Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu and his supporters on Wednesday joined the protest being held here by eight farmer unions for several days. The farmers are seeking compensation for cotton crop loss. Bittu and his supporters, mainly Youth Congress members, were reportedly cane-charged by the police when they forcibly tried to enter the District Administrative Complex. Several protesters were injured and admitted to the Civil Hospital in Maur. A head constable was also injured. The protesters ransacked the office of the Agriculture Department. The police booked Bittu, party leaders, including Khushbaaz Jattana, Bhupinder Singh Gura, Inderjit Singh Mofar and Bikramjit Singh Mofar, and 200 protesters. The Agriculture Department also got a case registered against them for damaging public property. — Nikhila Pant Dhawan
Cong flays police action
PPCC chief Partap Bajwa and CLP Leader Sunil Jakhar condemned the police action on Youth Congress activists and Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu. They also criticised the authorities for registering a case against party men who were protesting peacefully against the government’s “anti-farmer” policies.
Manpreet takes on MP
Criticising Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur’s statement that Punjab does not need a financial package to compensate farmers, Manpreet Badal, PPP chief, alleged she overlooked the sad plight of state farmers. “She insulted farmers by saying that they have suffered due to natural calamity,” he said.
