During the farmers’ movement in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party has always been raising its voice in support of the farmers. Now that the Aam Aadmi Party is in power in Punjab, the administration is facing farmers’ protests. Farmers under the banner of BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) are protesting in front of the District Administrative Building in Muktsar, Punjab. They are demanding action against the collector for ordering lathi charge on the farmers.
The farmers are demanding that the damage caused to their crops due to pink bollworm should be compensated and the FIR registered against them in the clash with the revenue officials should be withdrawn. On Tuesday, the police had registered an FIR against at least nine farmer leaders and 150 others in connection with the Lambi incident. After this the farmers blocked the highway in Lambi.
Gurpash Singh Pasha, an accused in the Lambi case, said, “We were upset with the Naib Tehsildar, and not with anyone else. We had asked the rest of the employees to leave but they all were not going. After this the police said that there is an order from the collector and started raining sticks. We want the FIR to be quashed and action taken against the DC. Compensation for our crops should also be given.
DC Harpreet Singh Sudan has told the farmers that they will get compensation in a few days. At the same time, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) Chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan and other senior farmer leaders spoke to AAP MLA Gurmeet Singh Khudiyan from Lambi. On the other hand, revenue officers are also going to meet Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on 5 April.