CHANDIGARH: SAD boss Sukhbir Singh Badal, his wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur BadalPrem Singh Chandumajra and other senior Akali leaders were detained by the Chandigarh police on Thursday night while on their way to the Punjab governor’s residence to protest the controversial new agricultural laws.
Police even used water cannons and used cane charges to disperse the Akalis on the Chandigarh-Mullanpur and Chandigarh-Zirakpur borders, party leaders said.
There was a strong police deployment, including commanders of the Rapid Action Force, along the two borders. Barricades were erected to prevent the Akalis from heading towards Chandigarh.
SAD leaders wanted to deliver a memorandum to Gov. Singh Badnore’s vice president, seeking repeal of the three new farm laws.
The Chandigarh administration had imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting the gathering of five or more people in one place.
Police wanted only a few leaders to meet with the Punjab governor to present the memorandum, but SAD leaders demanded that all Akali members be allowed.
“We detained (the Akali leaders) for a short period and then they were released,” said Chandigarh Police Superintendent Kuldeep Chahal.
Among the leaders who were arrested were Bikram Singh Majithia, Parambans Singh Romana, Daljit Singh Cheema, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and a few others.
Sukhbir Singh Badal led a ‘Kisan march’ from Akal Takht in Amritsar, while Harsimrat Kaur Badal led another procession from Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda.
A third procession was led by the main Akali leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra and Daljit Singh Cheema from Takht Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib.
The march led by Sukhbir Badal was joined by that led by Bikram Singh Majithia, Chandumajra, Jagir Kaur and Cheema and arrived at the Chandigarh-Mullanpur border around 9:30 pm.
From there, the police took Sukhbir Badal, Majithia, Chandumajra and Jagir Kaur into preventive custody as they tried to enter Chandigarh.
“We wanted to deliver a memorandum to the governor, but it is sad that he did not meet with us. We were accused of lathi, which we strongly condemn. It is an injustice. They tried to suppress the voice of the farmers,” Sukhbir Badal said.
The procession led by Harsimrat Kaur arrived in Chandigarh-Zirakpur around 8pm.
When the police stopped the Akalis from going to Chandigarh, Harsimrat Badal and MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder sat in a dharna on the road. They were later detained by the police.
The Akali leaders were taken to the Chandigarh Sector 17 Police Station and released around 10:45 pm.
Meanwhile, Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Badal strongly condemned the use of force in “peaceful” Akalis by the Chandigarh police and said the “brutal” Lathicha charge made this a “dark and painful day” for democracy in the history of the country.
Last week, the SAD had announced its separation from the NDA, the third major party to leave the BJP-led coalition in recent years.
September 17 Harsimrat Kaur Badal had resigned from the Union Cabinet after the head of the SAD strongly opposed the agricultural bills in Lok Sabha, claiming that the laws will “destroy” the agricultural sector in Punjab.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday he approved the three controversial bills: the bill on trade and commerce of agricultural products (promotion and facilitation); Price Guarantee Agreement and Law of Agricultural Services for Farmers (Empowerment and Protection); and essential commodities (amendment) Account.
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