Police Use Force to Foil Farmer Protest March in Bathinda
Police in Bathinda fired tear gas shells and detained hundreds of members of the farmer outfit Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) in the Malwa region on Friday. The action was taken to prevent a protest march demanding the release of two activists who have been in jail for the past 10 months.
Background of the Tension
The unrest began after a call was made to lay siege to the Bathinda district administrative complex. The protest aimed to secure the release of Shagandeep Singh and Baldev Singh. These two activists were arrested on April 5, 2025, following clashes between farmers and police at Rampura Phul. The original dispute centered on demands for the reinstatement of Adarsh School teachers at Chaoke village in Bathinda.
Early Morning Raids and Escalation
Police initiated their operation in the early hours of Friday, conducting raids on the homes of senior members of the farmer outfit. This included BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan, though most were not found at their residences. As news of these raids spread, farmers began marching towards Bathinda, prompting a massive police deployment across the region.
Clashes and Police Response
The situation deteriorated in Bathinda, Sangrur, and Barnala districts when farmers attempted to break through police barricades. This led to direct clashes, with police using force to control the crowds. Officers resorted to firing tear gas shells near Jethuke village on the Barnala-Bathinda stretch of the Bathinda-Chandigarh national highway. Additional clashes occurred at Tapa in Barnala district, near the ring road of Bathinda towards Muktsar, and at Mehla Chowk village in Sangrur.
Impact on Traffic and Conflicting Claims
The protests resulted in blockades on the Bathinda-Chandigarh national highway, which stalled ambulances and school buses. However, farmer leaders argued that it was the police barricades, not their actions, that halted traffic. BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) state vice-president Jhanda Singh Jethuke and senior functionary Roop Singh Channa claimed that thousands of activists were forcibly prevented from reaching the protest site by police measures.
Political and Organizational Reactions
Farmer, laborer, and employee organizations, including the Jamhuri Front, strongly criticized the state government for using force. Front conveners Prof Parminder Singh, Prof A K Maleri, Buta Singh, and Yashpal stated that the AAP government has unmasked its real anti-farmer face through these actions. A delegation of farmers and laborers also met with Bathinda deputy commissioner Rajesh Dhiman to demand the release of all those detained during the protests.
