Protesting aspiring teachers canecharged in Patiala, 6 hurt
Protesters were stopped while marching towards chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s residence in his hometown; opposition parties condemn police action
PATIALA: Members of the ETT TET-Pass Unemployed Teachers’ Union, including women, were lathicharged by police when they were marching towards the residence of Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh in Patiala on Sunday.
Six sustained injuries in the police action.
Some protesters even went to the Bhakra canal at nearby Pasiana village in Samana block, and three of them jumped into the waters. They were rescued. The injured, including one who received fracture in his leg, were admitted to Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. Turbans of some protesters were also tossed off in the melee.
The union’s demands include issuing of recruitment notification by the state government for all 12,000 vacant posts of TET ETT teachers and 595 of the backlog, besides raising the upper age limit to 42.
Superintendent of police (SP city) Varun Sharma, who led the canecharge, was seen losing his cool and assaulting the protesting teachers in a video that was doing rounds on social media. Union state president Deepak Kamboj was among those canecharged by police.
Phull Singh of Mansa, one of those who jumped into the canal, said, “I will not leave other protestors behind. I will wage a struggle for our rights till my last breath.”
Later, Gurwinder Singh and Ranjeet Singh jumped into the canal and were rescued by divers and other protesters.
Earlier, the aspiring teachers gathered at Nehru Park near the city bus stand around 11am. Even as a large number of police personnel surrounded the park, the protesters managed to get past the barricades and reached YPS Chowk where they staged a protest here and raised slogans against the state government.
Deshraj, who sustained injuries in the canecharge and was admitted to hospital, said, “It is my constitutional right to stage a protest for employment and raise slogans against the state government. But police attacked us with batons.”
Sunil Kumar from Abohar, said, “A few years ago, I had my right leg fractured in an accident. The cops kicked me on the same spot and I’m unable to walk now.”
LOP CHEEMA REACHES PROTEST SITE
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Dirba Harpal Singh Cheema, who is leader of opposition in the Punjab assembly, reached the protest site to extend his support the aspiring teachers. Later, he went to Government Rajindra Hospital to meet those injured in the canecharge. Later, party MLAs Aman Arora and Saravjit Kaur Manuke also met the inured at hospital. Also, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)’s Sanaur MLA Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra also reached the protest site.
The protest was on till filing of the report with the aspiring deciding to continue it overnight.
‘CM FAILED TO ADDRESS THEIR DEMANDS’
AAP’s Punjab chief and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann condemned the lathicharge on the aspiring teachers. “It is shameful that young women were beaten up brutally on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Punjabis are in historically known as saviour of women. We will raise their issue in the assembly,” he said in a video.
Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLA Simranjeet Singh Bains also condemned the lathicharge, accusing CM Amarinder Singh of failing to address the protesters’ genuine demands.
It is shameful that young women were beaten up brutally on the occasion of International Women’s Day. We will raise their issue in the assembly. BHAGWANT MANN, AAP state chief