Teachers gherao Dy Speaker’s residence

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 13

Members of the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha on Tuesday gheraoed Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti’s residence in the city. Some farmer and labour organisations also joined the teachers in the ‘Halla Bol’ protest.

Apart from cancellation of transfers, they are demanding regularisation of jobs of SSA/RMSA (without pay cuts), 5178 Master Cadre and EGS-AIE-STR teachers.

At first, they gathered at Teachers Home and later they marched toward the Deputy Speaker’s residence located at Model Town Phase-3.

However, huge police force deployed near Bhatti’s residence near Dadi-Poti Park tried to stop the agitating teachers.

The police had done barricading on the road, but protesters tried to cross over the barricades, which resulted in use of mild force by the police. Turbans of a few farmer union leaders were also tossed up in the incident.

A few protesters succeeded in reaching the residence of the Deputy Speaker, where they shouted slogans against the state government.

Thereafter, Deputy Speaker’s son Guraman and Tehsildar Sukhbir Singh Brar accepted a memorandum from the protesters and also assured them of getting a scheduled on Wednesday.

DSP Gurjit Singh Romana and other police officials present at the spot tried to pacify the teacher union leaders, but turning down the pleas of the police officials, the latter continued to march towards the residence.

This protest was headed by union leaders Resham Singh and Jagsir Singh Sahota.

While addressing the protesters, Resham Singh and Jaswinder Singh Brar said, “To make our voice reach the ears of the government, we gheraoed the residence of Deputy Speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti. On November 18, a huge gathering would gherao the residence of Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal.”

Meanwhile, the protesters said the administration and the police tried their best to dissuade them from reaching Bhatti’s residence.

The police had blocked the road near Dadi-Poti Park by setting up barricades, but they managed to reach the Deputy Speaker’s house, they added.

While talking to mediapersons, Jagsir Singh Sahota said, “The police used mild cane-charge to stop the protesting teachers from reaching the house of Ajaib Singh Bhatti, but despite this, we reached his house and raised slogans against the state government.”

DSP (City) Gurjeet Singh Romana said, “The police did not resort to any cane-charge or force. It was just that protesters were trying to cross over the barricades and we stopped them.”