‘Raid’ on Gadar Memorial Bhawan sparks protest

Sangrur, March 22

In protest against a ‘raid’ by the police on the night of March 10 at Gadar Memorial Bhawan here and the taking of a state-level leader of the Kirti Kisan Union, Bhupinder Singh Longowal, and a student leader Sukhdeep Singh Hathan into custody, a large number of farmers and labourers took out a protest march through the markets of the city.

They also blocked traffic for about half-an-hour at the traffic light chowk (near the main bus stand) here. They lifted the blockade only when an officer of the district administration received a memorandum from the protesting leaders.

Under pressure from the farmer organisations, Longowal and Hathan were let off by the police the next day.

Earlier, the farmers and labourers held a protest rally at the New Grain Market here. The leaders of the protesters termed the ‘raid’ illegal and condemned the police action.