Cops foil ‘solidarity’ rally

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 15

The government today thwarted a protest by members of 12 organisations over abrogation of Article 370 and in support of Kashmiris at Mohali.

Earlier, the district administration had refused permission for the protest rally which was announced by around 12 Left-leaning farmers’ and workers’ organisations at Mohali’s Dussehra Ground.

Defying the ban, the activists tried to march towards the venue in Mohali but were stopped by the police in various districts, including Bathinda, Mansa, Barnala, Sangrur, Patiala, Moga, Muktsar Faridkot, Tarn Taran, Ropar etc.

The police stopped the vehicles of the protesters at various places and also blocked the roads.

In a press release, Jhanda Singh Jethuke of the BKU (Ugrahan) and Kisan Sangharsh Committee president Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu said the way the Punjab Government had scuttled a peaceful protest, it showed that the Congress also supported the BJP and RSS’ onslaught in Kashmir.

Earlier, a group of students of the Punjab Student Union (Lalkar) from Panjab University managed to enter the venue. However, they were whisked away by the police and released later.

In Bathinda, defying ban orders, members of various groups heading to participate in a state-level protest at Mohali were stopped by the police at Bucho Khurd Following this, they started the protest in Bathinda and blocked the highway against the government’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcate the state into two union territories.

While addressing the protesters, Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union’s Zora Singh and BKU-Ekta Ugrahan’s Mithu Singh Kotra, said, “Kashmiris should be given the freedom and right to take their own decisions. The restrictions imposed in Kashmir should be removed.”

The protest continued till 2 pm and commuters travelling on the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway remained a harried lot.

Meanwhile, members of various organisations on Sunday blocked the Sangrur-Patran road at Mehla chowk town after the police intercepted their vehicles and did not allow them to reach Mohali to participate in the protest.