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Abohar, March 18
The police on Monday swung into quick action to prevent some BKU leaders from ‘immolating themselves’ near the Rajpura barrier on Abohar- Hanumangarh highway where they have been staging dharna for the last four days in protest against canal closure for repairs.
Witnesses said that when some leaders started leaving the protest site reportedly to commit suicide, cops who were already deployed there, grappled and detained them and took to the Wahabwala police station.
A large number of farmers from different organisations surrounded the police station in Wahabwala and started shouting slogans demanding the release of the detained farmers without any delay. The protesters warned that if their leaders are not released then a Punjab-level call will be given for protests.
According to the information, some of the farmers who had joined the protest under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-political) had also threatened to jump into the canals to end life.
After a verbal spat that took place between Balluana MLA Amandeep Singh Goldy Musafir of the AAP and farmer leaders during a programme at Wahabwala village, farmers on Sunday burnt an effigy of the MLA at the Rajpura barrier on the Punjab- Rajasthan border. They raised slogans against the MLA and state government.
Gunwant Singh, Subhash Bhagsar, Vinod Dudi, Jagjit Singh, Nirmal Singh, Sona Singh were among the leaders who were found sitting in the police station.
SKM activists said that Balluana MLA had criticised the dharna claiming that canals were not to be closed but the Executive Engineer, Canal and Ground Water Board Water Resources Department, Abohar, today confirmed that to complete the remaining work of the project for relining of Sirhind feeder canal from RD 154000 to RD 172500, the canal system has been closed from March 16 to April 15 for a total of 31 days. The XEN officially confirmed that water supply will be restored on April 16.
Khuian Sarwar block Congress president Harpreet Singh said that the Punjab Government is bent on destroying the farmers who are in dire need of canal water in the months of March and April and have closed the canals for 31 days. He said that Balluana AAP MLA Musafir, instead of listening to their problems, was making false claims and having a spat with the protesting farmers.
Police station surrounded
Witnesses said that when some leaders started leaving the protest site ‘to commit suicide’, cops detained them and took the protesters to Wahabwala police station. A large number of farmers surrounded the police station and started raising slogans demanding the release of the detained farmers without any delay.
Verbal spat with MLA
After a verbal spat that took place between Balluana MLA Amandeep Singh Goldy Musafir of the AAP and farmer leaders during a programme at Wahabwala village, farmers on Sunday burnt an effigy of the MLA at the Rajpura barrier on the Punjab- Rajasthan border. They raised slogans against the MLA and state government.
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