Farmers clash with police in Moga as cops lathicharge them to prevent their protest against Sukhbir Badal

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, September 2

The Moga police on Thursday used water cannons and cane-charged the farmers who were protesting on the national highway outside the new grain market where SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal was to address a public meeting.

Five farmers and some policemen were injured as the farmers clashed with the police after they used the force to disperse them. The turbans of both the farmers and some cops were tossed in the scuffle.

A group of protesting farmers reached near the venue of the SAD rally where the police used force to turn them away. At least 10 cars and other vehicles were damaged in the incident.          

The farmers were already unhappy over the attitude of the Moga police as the cops had raided the houses of local farm activists on Wednesday night to detain them so that Thursday's protest against the SAD chief could be averted.

On Thursday, when the farmers started gathering on the highway, the police asked them to go away. The farmers said they were peacefully protesting against Sukhbir Badal, but the cops started using water cannons. The cops resorted to cane-charge while the farmers threw stones on the cops.

Farmer leader Baldev Singh Zira alleged that the police action would not deter them from holding protests against the SAD leaders. “We will continue our protests with determination as the Akali leadership had supported the BJP to introduce the three controversial farm laws,” he alleged.