Farmers’ injuries at Shambhu border: DC Patiala raises concern with DC ,SP Ambala; Sangrur DC yet to take decision
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ February 14,2024
On the second day of farmers’ protest the deputy commissioner of Patiala has taken up the health, security issue with his counterpart at Ambala.
On the first day of farmers call ‘Delhi Chalo’ around 130 farmers, journalist received multiple injuries due the dropping of tear-gas shells from drones by Haryana police at Shambhu, Khanauri border.
As per available information, the Haryana police also fire rubber bullets, use batons, water cannons as farmers try to break barricades at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders and trying to enter Haryana from Punjab to march towards Delhi.
Haryana Police on the first day ‘Delhi Chalo’ call given by farmers fired hundreds of tear-gas shells by using drones, at Shambhu, Khanauri border with Punjab to disperse protesting farmers in Patiala and Sangrur territory and preventing them from reaching the multi-layered barricading.
To this action of Haryana police, deputy commissioner of Patiala Showkat Ahmed Parray on Wednesday contacted his Ambala counterpart Shaleen and SP Ambala Jashandeep Singh Randhawa, IPS to refrain from entering the state’s territory and not to use tear gas shell and other ammunition to disperse farmers.
As per available information, DC Patiala Showkat Ahmed Parray asked his counterpart DC Ambala “to refrain from such acts and restrict them within their (Haryana) territory”. This is creating law and order problem in district Patiala.
When contacted Jitendra Jorwal, deputy commissioner Sangrur, he said “ no such letter has been written by him to his counterpart the neighbouring district of Haryana.”
As per available information, the Haryana police are the first force in the country to use drones to drop tear-gas shells on protesters.
On the other hand the BKU (Ugrahan) Joginder Singh Ugrahan has announced Rail Roko protest across Punjab from 12 noon to 4 pm on Feb 15. The farmer union has alleged that Haryana police has used the Rubber bullets, plastic pellets, and SRL rounds against the farmers, and excessive force was being employed.
On farmers’ ‘Delhi chalo’ protest, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait says, “MSP guarantee law and Swaminathan Committee report, Electricity amendment bill and debt waiver are the issues of the farmers across the country. There are several farmer unions and they have different issues…If the Govt creates a problem for these farmers who are marching towards Delhi, we are not far from them…We are in support of them…”
