Daijiworld Media Network - Bathinda
Bathinda, Feb 18: A protest by farmers at Jeond in Bathinda turned violent on Wednesday after clashes broke out between demonstrators and police as the farmers attempted to march towards the District Administrative Complex (DAC).
Several farmers were injured when police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Both sides reportedly pelted stones and bricks at each other before police intensified action with repeated use of tear gas.
Police had set up checkpoints on key roads leading into the city. Several farmers were reportedly detained or placed under house arrest at different locations as the operation began on Tuesday night. A few farmers, including women, were also detained from Jeond village.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bathinda, Jyoti Yadav, claimed that a mob had gathered on rooftops of some houses and hurled stones at police personnel. She said police used mild force and tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
However, a protesting farmer alleged that police resorted to tear gas and stone pelting without provocation. He said holding a protest is a democratic right and accused police of raiding residences of farmer leaders to detain them ahead of the protest call.
The protest was organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), which had announced an indefinite agitation outside the DAC demanding the release of its two activists, Shagandeep Singh Jeond and Baldev Singh Chauke. The two were arrested during a protest last year and have been lodged in Bathinda jail since April.
Despite heavy police deployment, some farmers from the Jaito block in Faridkot district managed to reach the DAC in the afternoon but were immediately detained. Meanwhile, a court granted bail to Shagandeep and Baldev on Wednesday.
Earlier, on February 6, farmers had attempted to march towards Bathinda from Jeond village but were stopped near Rampura Phul on the Chandigarh-Bathinda highway, where police used tear gas to disperse them. Many protesters were taken into custody from Bathinda and nearby districts. Following their unconditional release, the union had temporarily suspended its protest.
The farmers are demanding cancellation of five FIRs registered against more than 2,000 farmers for alleged lawlessness during the February 6 protest. They had issued an ultimatum seeking release of the two activists and withdrawal of cases by February 14. After the deadline lapsed, the union announced plans to stage a protest outside the DAC on February 18.
In Samana in Patiala district, several farmers heading to Bathinda were stopped by police near Gajewas village on the Samana-Bhawanigarh road, where soil-laden tipper trucks were parked across the route. Some farmers also scuffled with police near a gurdwara in Samana after being prevented from proceeding further.
BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said protests across Punjab would continue until all leaders and workers detained during the agitation are released. He added that victory rallies would be organised on Thursday.