A clash between protesting farmers and police left several persons, including farmers and a woman constable injured, outside Guru Nanak Dev University’s main campus in Amritsar on Thursday.
The clash happened when police tried to stop farmers, who were travelling on their tractor-trolleys on Ram Tirath road near the university campus.
This led to heated arguments between the cops and farmers, which soon escalated into a scuffle. Police had to resort to mild lathi-charge and also detained 100 activists.
Leaders of Jagjit Singh Dallewal-led Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Sidhupur) had given a call for the protest after a bank seized a farmer’s property falling under the jurisdiction of police station Division-B in compliance with the orders of Punjab and Haryana high court on May 16.
BKU leader Palwinder Singh Mahal said the protesters were proceeding towards the Amritsar deputy commissioner’s office to hand over a charter of demands.
“The farmers were supposed to gather at Ranjit Avenue ground and then proceed with the protest. However, the police prevented us from doing so. The cops stopped a group of farmers, who were coming from the Ram Tirath area on tractors-trolleys. The police resorted to a lathi charge without any provocation. As many as 5-6 farmers sustained injuries and are admitted to hospitals,” Mahal said.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Harpal Singh Randhawa said that police had to resort to minor lathi-charge to stop the farmers who tried to break through the barricades with their tractors.
“Later they blocked the road and as many as 100 farmers have been detained. Two school children were injured as the farmers, upon seeing the police, tried to speed away in their trolleys. A motorcyclist was also injured,” the ADCP added. ADCP added that no FIR has been registered after the incident and assured of action against the farmers who blocked the road.
DSP (investigation) RPS Sandhu said action will be taken against the farmers who blocked the road. “A woman constable also sustained injuries during the clash,” he added.
ADCP Randhawa said cops asked the protesters to clear the road but when they remained adamant around 100 activists were detained.
The detained farmers have been released, police said.
Farmer leader Mahal said the farmers wanted to submit memorandums regarding property confiscation due to unpaid bank loans during the COVID-19 lockdown. “The police blocked our way with barricades and then attacked us without any justification,” he added.
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