Police personnel use water cannons on farmers to stop them from crossing the Punjab-Haryana border during 'Delhi Chalo' protest march against the new farm laws, near Ambala. (File Photo: PTI) The Punjab Vidhan Sabha Committee, formed to look into atrocities on farmers during agitation against three farm laws, met at Moga Thursday and recorded the statements of some farmers.
Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Vaid, who heads the panel, said that they met the victim farmers who either sustained injuries, faced brutality or were allegedly tortured by police during their agitation against the Centre’s three agrarian laws. The meeting was held at Rest House.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Vaid said that till now they have visited Ludhiana and Moga districts and the the next meeting is scheduled in Bathinda and then in Jalandhar. “We have recorded statements of 23 farmers till now including 9 today in Moga. We are visiting the districts as it is difficult for farmers to travel to Chandigarh to record their statements. We are aiming to finish this task and tour the entire Punjab in the next 4 weeks,” he said.
He added that not just Punjab, but the committee is also willing to record statements of farmers from other states such as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan etc. who might have faced atrocities during their protest either on Delhi borders or other protest sites.
Other members of panel include Congress MLAs Fatehjang Singh Bajwa & Kulbir Singh Zira (both were not present in the Moga meeting), AAP MLA Saravjit Kaur Manuke and SAD MLA Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra.
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh had constituted this committee comprising MLAs from all parties, to table a detailed report about atrocities meted out to farmers during the protest.
The committee said that it would visit every area of Punjab and meet each atrocity victim of Delhi and Haryana police. The committee assured justice to the victims and said it would highlight every atrocity before Vidhan Sabha in the report.
They said that anyone who wants to record his/her statement can call 97791-11022 and 80544-95901. The next meeting would be held on June 10 at Circuit House, Bathinda.
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