The agitators were scheduled to gherao Punjab CM’s residence on farmers’ issues

Thursday, 05/05/2016

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Chandigarh : The farmers and farm labourers’ wing activists of Punjab Congress were cane-charged by Chandigarh Police on Wednesday when they were marching towards the residence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to gherao it on issues concerning farmers, including non-payment of their wheat crop.

The march was led by the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Charanjit Singh Channi and the party’s farmers and farm labourers’ wing head Inderjit Singh Zira. They also burnt an effigy of the CM and raised anti-establishment slogans before leaving for the CM’s residence.

During the police action, near Congress Bhawan in Sector 15 here in which the cops also used water cannons, Zira lost his turban. Police also detained about 15 Congressmen.

According to reports, one mediaperson was also injured in the episode and he was taken to Government Medical College and Hospital Sector 16 for treatment.

It may be pertinent to mention here the Congressmen, in a group of six, were regularly staging protest outside the CM residence for past few days, but finding the government unmoved, they had planned a bigger dharna for Wednesday, which was foiled by Chandigarh Police.

Reacting to the day’s development, Channi condemned the brutal cane-charge by the Chandigarh police, stating that they were holding a peaceful demonstration. He alleged that Chandigarh police started the cane-charge and used water cannons on peaceful sitting farmers, without any provocation.

“Many farmers have been injured and few were also taken to Sector 16 government hospital,” he claimed, adding that the protesters were abused by the force and made to run to save their lives also.

Channi also condemned the inhuman attitude of the Chandigarh police towards the journalists who were covering the protest.

Speaking further, the CLP leader claimed that this had happened for the first time that hundreds of policemen from Chandigarh were running after the protesters and barged into Punjab Congress Bhawan and searched every room of the party office.

“The police officials also misbehaved with the office staff, a formal complaint has been lodged against a Chandigarh Police officer while the CCTV footage of the police barging in has also been released to the media,” he mentioned.

Congress leader stages dharna outside DSP office

Bathinda: Congress MLA Sunil Kumar Jakhar on Wednesday staged a dharna in Abohar outside the DSP office, alleging the police of using pressure tactics to suppress the voice of victims. Jakhar was in fact holding protest against the registration of a case against his personal secretary Sanjeev Trika and others for creating hurdle in traffic movement while staging dharna on Tuesday. Jakhar’s secretary and others were demanding the registration of a case against a group of persons for abetting one Natha Singh of Billa Patti village to commit suicide.