Farmers block rail traffic, sent to jail

Tribune News Service 
Faridkot, November 29  

In the ongoing standoff between the farmers’ union and the district administration over the FIRs against the farmers for burning stubble in Faridkot, the police on Friday booked 50 members of the BKU (Sidhupur) under Sections 107 and  151 (preventive arrest) and sent them to the judicial custody in Faridkot Central Jail.

Members of the BKU (Sidhupur) are staging a protest dharna in front of Jaito police station for the last about three-weeks. They are demanding the cancellation of FIRs against farmers for burning stubble. 

Intensifying their protest on Thursday, the farmers tried to block the Delhi-Ferozepur rail link, but police stopped them. After that the farmers blocked the Jaito-Muktsar road.

For disrupting the public life, the Jaito police on Friday booked 50 members of the BKU under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC. As the farmers declined to avail the right to get bail in this case, they were sent to the judicial custody. 

Jagjeet Singh Dallewal, state president of the BKU (Sidhupur) and one among those arrested on Friday, said the farmers would now start the ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ and 50 farmers would give arrest every day, till their demands were not meet.

The protesting farmers are demanding cancellation of FIRs registered against them for burning stubble across the state. Besides, they also sought withdrawal of all ‘Red Circle’ entries in the revenue record of the farmers.

“The government action against the farmers is unjustified as it has failed to find out a practical solution since the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned stubble burning in 2013. By not paying compensation to the basmati growers, the state government is promoting them to burn the stubble,” said Dallewal.