Chandigarh : Farmers are protesting on the Delhi-Katra Highway in Gurdaspur, Punjab, against land acquisition for the Bharatmala project. During the demonstration of farmers on Wednesday, an employee of Punjab Police slapped an elderly woman. The video of slapping an elderly woman during a protest on social media went viral on social media. After this, the ruckus increased even more and the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMC) also came forward in support of this demonstration of the farmers. On the other hand, after the matter of slapping an elderly woman came to the notice of the police officers, it is being said on their behalf that the matter is being investigated.
Protesters wanted to harm policemen: SP
Batala Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh said on Thursday that a video of a policeman slapping an elderly woman protestor in Gurdaspur during a land acquisition protest on the Delhi-Katra National Highway has gone viral. . He said that yesterday the farmers protested, in which some rowdy farmers tried to harm the policemen. Some personnel also suffered injuries while controlling them.
Punjab | Yesterday farmers staged a protest during which some of the miscreant farmers tried to harm the police personnel. Some of the personnel sustained injuries while controlling them. Amid this, a video has gone viral in which a woman is seen trying to slap one of the police… pic.twitter.com/F0T3b0prCL
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2023
Policeman slapped in defense: SP, Batala
He also said that in the meantime, a video has gone viral in which a woman is seen trying to slap a policeman. After this he slapped her in his defense. He said that this incident has been taken seriously and it is being investigated. I request all the protesting farmers not to take law and order in their hands and protest peacefully and keep their demands in a peaceful manner.
Farmers strike on railway tracks, rail traffic disrupted
On the other hand, hundreds of workers of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMC) staged a sit-in on the railway track and disrupted rail traffic on Thursday in Devidaspura village of Amritsar district over the alleged inadequate compensation for the land acquired for the Bharatmala project. Railway officials said that train services running between Amritsar and Delhi were affected after 12.30 pm in view of the farmers sitting on strike. He told that the route of all trains is being changed for this particular section.
Government is not giving proper compensation to the farmers
At the same time, KMC spokesperson Gurbachan Singh Chabba said that the farmers are on strike over the issue of compensation in connection with land acquisition for the Bharatmala project. He said that the government is taking the land, but is not giving proper compensation to the farmers. Accusing the police of using force against the protesting farmers, Chabba said that a woman farmer was slapped by a policeman in Gurdaspur district. He said that the domineering attitude of the government and its police, which use force to uproot the farmers from their agricultural land, is condemnable.
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Police lathicharged the protestor
KMC spokesperson Gurbachan Singh Chabba alleged that the police lathi-charged the farmers protesting peacefully against the government for the acquisition of their land for the expansion and construction of the Delhi-Katra National Highway. He said that the incident took place in Cheema Khudi village of Gurdaspur. When asked how long the farmers will keep the rail traffic disrupted, Chabba said that several meetings are going on between the farmer’s organization and the administration and the final decision will be taken soon.
