Clash during Harsimrat Badal’s Ferozepur visit

Ferozepur, November 10

Farmer unions and the Congress protested at separate places during the visit of former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal here today.

The situation became tense when Akalis and farmer leaders accused each other of opening fire and assault.

Harsimrat was here to drum up support for SAD candidates. Earlier, she went to Hussainiwala to pay respects to martyrs. Later, she arrived in the city where farmers as well as Congress workers protested against her visit. While the Congress leaders were carrying placards questioning the “absence” of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal from his Ferozepur seat, unions were seeking time to meet her to share their grievances.

SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said they had made all arrangements to prevent any untoward incident but SAD leaders took a different route without intimation, where they reportedly entered into a scuffle with farmers. He said they were probing the charges of assault levelled by both Akalis and farmer organisations against each other. — OC