PATIALA: Policemen and farm activists were injured in a clash in Sangrur when cops tried to stop them from moving to the house of BJP Sangrur president R S Deol during the party’s state chief Ashwani Sharma’s visit there. Police also cane-charged the protesters to disperse them.
On Sunday evening, a number of farmers gathered and proceeded towards Deol’s house on Patiala bypass, after they received information about Sharma’s visit. However, they were stopped around a kilometre from Deol’s house, where BharatiyaJanata Party leaders were supposed to meet.
Police said protesters broke the first barricade with the help of tractors, following which they were stopped at the second barricade. They said they had to resort to a lathicharge to disperse the farmers.
“Some cops are injured and three are hospitalised. The cops were injured after farmers broke police barricading with help of tractor-trolleys, following which a minor scuffle took place. No farmer is injured as they were dispersed. No case has been registered so far,” said Rakesh Kumar, station house officer (SHO) of Sangrur Sadar police station.
BKU (Ekta Ugraha) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokarikalan said farmers faced mild lathicharge by police in Sangrur. He claimed “more than three protesters were injured and one hospitalised”.