Punjab Vidhan Sabha panel meets victims of ‘police torture’

PANEL HEAD AND LEGISLATOR KULDEEP SINGH VAID SAYS THEY HAVE RECORDED STATEMENTS OF 14 VICTIMS

LUDHIANA : The Punjab Vidhan Sabha committee on atrocities on farmers on Thursday met those who were allegedly tortured by police in Delhi and Haryana or got injured during the agitation against the Centre’s three agriculture laws.

The committee comprising MLAs Kuldeep Singh Vaid, Kulbir Singh Zira, Saravjit Kaur Manuke, Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa and Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra recorded the statements of 14 farmers. Bajwa was not present in Thursday’s meeting.

Vaid, who heads the committee comprising MLAs from all parties, said it was constituted by assembly speaker Rana KP Singh seeking a detailed report on alleged atrocities on the farmers during the protests.

The panel members said they would visit the places of residence of the victim farmers.

“So far, we have come to know about 70-80 farmers who were tortured by the police or faced atrocities in jail. We will meet every victim,” said Vaid who assured justice to the victims, saying they would highlight every atrocity in the report to the Vidhan Sabha.

Vaid said anyone who suffered at the hands of the police and want to record their statement can call helplines 9779711022 and 80544-95901.

Manuke, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA, accused the BJP government at the Centre of defaming the farmers by citing rise in Covid-19 cases in villages. She said the government does not have adequate vaccine and instead of ramping up the vaccination drive in rural areas they are busy defaming the farming community.