1 week Ago
Shariq Majeed Ludhiana: Police resorted to a mild lathicharge to dislodge people protesting against the setting up of a biogas plant at Akhara village on Saturday. For over one year, villagers here have been protesting against the establishment of the biogas plant, citing health concerns. Village residents said that a heavy police force was deployed to disperse the protesters.
As per reports, police officers initially asked the protesters, including women, to call off their demonstration but the protesters refused, which led to an argument between them and the police. In view of the resistance, police reportedly resorted to a mild cane-charge to disperse the protesters. Area residents claimed that the police detained many farmer leaders before trying to clear the protest site opposite the under-construction biogas plant, where work has been stalled ever since the protests started.
They added that police personnel also dismantled the tents and sheds of the protesters. One of the protesters, Sukhjeet Singh, alleged that the police, who arrived early in the morning, detained a few villagers. He alleged that the police also stopped announcements in the gurdwara.
Alleging that the police destroyed the tent being used by the villagers for their peaceful protest, he asserted that they would not allow a biogas factory to be constructed in the village under any circumstances. A police officer, asking not to be named, said that 18 to 19 protesters, including two to three women, were detained and released later. Coordinator of the coordination committee said that farmer leaders Manjit Singh Dhaner, Punjab president of BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner), Buta Singh Chakkar, district leader of Punjab Kissan Union and Balraj Singh Kot Umra, district president of Jamhoori Kissan Sabha, were arrested from their houses in the morning.
They were released in the evening. Darshan Singh, another protester, who is also the village panch, said that they would not allow any material to be taken to the construction site and would continue their peaceful protest. Meanwhile, coordinator of the coordination committee against biogas plants, Sukhdev Singh Bhundri, who heads the protest in Bhundri village, said that the police force arrived at around 4am and arrested seven members of the local committee, besides damaging their shed.
However, he added that despite the police action, the protest continued. He also asserted that they would not allow construction of the biogas plant. The coordinator of the coordination committee said that there were protests against police action in Akhara village and at other places where efforts are being made to construct biogas plants.
He added that protesters at these places burnt the effigy of the Punjab govt and police for action against villagers. Bhundri said that they would get the detained protesters released or intensify the agitation. While SSP, Ludhiana Rural, Ankur Gupta was not available for comments, a police official confirmed that they had resorted to a mild lathicharge to dislodge protesters.
He added that though a few protesters had been taken into preventive detention, they were released later. MSID:: 120646831 413 |.
