Panchayat land row: Police, Dalits clash at Sangrur village

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, May 24

A clash took place on Tuesday at Balad Kalan village near Bhawanigarh between police and Dalits, who were opposing the auction of panchayat land (reserved for Scheduled Castes) terming it as “dummy” and seeking the land on lease at low rates for joint farming.

A few people, including policemen, suffered injuries in the clash. The police resorted to lathicharge on the protesting Dalits as they blocked the Sangrur-Patiala road outside the village while the Dalits pelted the police with bricks and stones. A leader of Zamin Prapati Sanghrash Committee claimed that the police also opened fire in the air, but the police refuted the charge.

Earlier, Dalits gheraoed the BDPO office at Bhawanigarh, where the auction of the land took place. Terming it as a “dummy” auction, they demanded its cancellation and raised slogans in support of their demand. Later, the protesting Dalits moved towards Balad Kalan village where the clash took place.