Bathinda: Farm union suspends protest till Feb 14, seeks cancellation of FIRs

The Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) has suspended till February 14 the stir seeking the release of their two activists.

It comes after the Bathinda district police registered five FIRs over the Friday clash.

The cases were lodged against over 2,000 unidentified farmers for allegedly taking a DSP and others hostage, breaking police barricades, disturbing law and order, and blocking the national highway. The suspension of the stir was announced by union president Joginder Singh Ugrahan in Barnala.

Ugrahan claimed that the Bathinda district administration and the police had sought an application to initiate the process for their release, which the union had already submitted.

He said that if the two activists were not released by February 14, the union would hold an urgent meeting the same day and announce its next course of action.

He also condemned the registration of cases against farmers, termed them “false” and demanded their immediate cancellation.

Two union activists — Baldev and Shagandeep — have been lodged in the Bathinda jail since April 5 last year.

They were arrested following a protest at Jeond village in Bathinda district on January 20 last year, which turned violent during land demarcation and consolidation proceedings being carried out as per directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

During the incident, a DSP and other police personnel were injured after a mob allegedly held a Revenue Department team hostage.

However, farmers claimed that apart from the land dispute, they were also demanding the reinstatement of teachers at an Adarsh School in neighbouring Chauke village at the time.

The matter is listed for hearing in the High Court on February 18 as the two activists have again applied for regular bail. Their earlier bail pleas were dismissed by the courts.