Farmers lathicharged at Sukhbir Badal's rally in Moga

Tribune News Service

Moga, September 2

The Moga police used water cannons and resorted to lathicharge on farmers who were protesting outside the new grain market in the city where SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal arrived to address a public meeting on Thursday.

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Protesters broke the police barricades with tractors and some of them also reached near the venue of the SAD rally, forcing the police to use force to turn them away. At least five farmers and some policemen were injured and 15 cars, including police vehicles, were damaged in the incident.

Won’t be deterred: Zira

The police action will not deter us. We will continue our protests with more determination as the Akali leadership had supported the BJP to introduce the farm laws. — Baldev Singh Zira, Krantikari Kisan Union Activist

Congress fomenting trouble

The Congress government is trying to create a law and order situation in the state to get the Assembly elections postponed. —Sukhbir Singh Badal, SAD President

Farmers were already angry over the alleged raids conducted on the houses and offices of some local farm activists on the intervening night of September 1 and September 2. The administration wanted to avert Thursday’s protest against the SAD chief in Moga.

Farmers claimed they were protesting peacefully against Sukhbir without disrupting traffic on the overbridge on the national highway when cops used force to disperse them. Protesters allegedly threw stones at cops and defended themselves with the sticks they were holding to carry flags.

Krantikari Kisan Union senior activist Baldev Singh Zira said the police action would not deter them from holding protests against the SAD. “We will continue our protests with more determination as the Akali leadership had supported the BJP being part of the NDA government to introduce the three farm laws,” he said.

“We warned them several times. Some protesters pelted cops with stones after which the force was used to disperse them. They had also blocked the national highway near the spot which was later cleared,” said SSP Dhruman H Nimbale, adding DSP Gurdeep Singh and few other cops were injured in the incident.

He said: “At least 35 protesters have been detained and the situation is now under control. We have also registered a criminal case under Sections 307, 332, 333, 353, 186, 148, 149, 120B of the IPC, Section 8-B of the National Highway Act, 1956, Sections 3, 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act at the City-I police station against unknown persons.”

Earlier, Sukhbir announced Barjinder Singh Makhan Brar as the party candidate from Moga. Brar's father veteran SAD leader Tota Singh was also present on the occasion.

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