Farmers’ protest in Patiala: ‘Don’t want a repeat of Panchkula in Patiala’

As a mark of protest, farmers have threatened to assemble outside Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s Moti Bagh palace in Patiala from Friday as part of their planned five-day protest (File)

Apprehensive of a possible law and order situation in Patiala during the scheduled protest of farmers on Friday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday summoned Punjab’s Director General of Police Suresh Arora and asked the state government to take immediate preventive steps to maintain law and order across Patiala.

As a mark of protest, farmers have threatened to assemble outside Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s Moti Bagh palace in Patiala from Friday as part of their planned five-day protest.

On Wednesday morning, the division bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal and Justice Amit Rawal, while hearing a public interest litigation, said it did not want a repeat of the Panchkula episode in the city and requested the state DGP to remain present in the court at 2 pm.

“Mr Nanda, we do not want Panchkula there… Otherwise, observations of the court will be very stringent,” the division bench observed while issuing notice to the state government. When the court resumed hearing in the case in the afternoon session, the DGP, accompanied by senior police officers, reached the court, which was informed that Section 144 had already been imposed in the city prohibiting assembly of five or more persons.

“The state shall also ensure that Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is being complied with strictly,” the court said while issuing notices to the state government, Centre and various farmer unions impleaded as parties in the PIL. Several farmer unions have called for a five-day protest from Friday in Patiala city to pressure the Congress government to fulfill the poll promise of farm loan waiver.

The High Court’s intervention came through the PIL filed by a Patiala lawyer, Mohit Kapoor, who alleged that “a large mob of farmers approximately about 1-2 lakh in number” had threatened to launch “Jail Bharo” agitation and were expected to assemble in the city on September 22 to press for their demands, which could result in lawlessness and threat to the law and order.

“It has also been learnt that the said protesters have been even joined by the political parties. Hence, in that scenario, a large number of persons, including the farmers and their organisations, would be assembling,” Kapoor has said in the PIL filed through senior advocate Puneet Bali, who has widely cited the court’s recent judicial intervention in the Panchkula situation.

Punjab’s Advocate General Atul Nanda presented a map of the city before the division bench and explained that the protesters wanted to surround the New Moti Bagh Palace, which could hamper the functioning of various institutions like schools, colleges and hospitals.

“You have to ensure there is proper barricading and proper implementation of Section 144 in the city,” observed the division bench. “We are concerned. There should not be any untoward situation.”

After Nanda informed the court that no organisation had sought prior approval to hold any demonstration and that a public notice had already been published in a particular newspaper on Monday declaring that it is mandatory to seek prior approval of the Deputy Commissioner for holding any protest, the division bench held that the scheduled protest “would not satisfy the test of being legal.”

The High Court has also directed the state government to circulate the notice regarding the court order in all the newspapers in Punjab and also broadcast the same through Radio. The state has also been asked to give the names of the farmer unions while circulating the public notice.

DGP Arora, while speaking to media outside the High Court, said the government had requested the Centre to keep the paramilitary companies, which had arrived in the state in view of the Gurmeet Ram Rahim Rahim episode, in the state itself till September 26. “We have taken adequate steps and have mobilized forces,” said Arora.

The state government also released a press statement in the evening which read, “The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the various Kisan Unions who are proposing to hold a dharna at Patiala from September 22 to seek prior permission for the same from the Deputy Commissioner or else their gathering “would not satisfy the test of being legal. It has also directed the state government to ensure strict enforcement of Sec 144 CrPC.”