Cops lathi-charge protesting farm labourers outside Mann’s house

The Punjab Police on Wednesday lathi-charged farm labourers protesting outside Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s house in Sangrur district over an increase in their minimum daily wage and other demands, members of labour union’s said. Police, however, maintained that they used “mild force” in self-defence.

The farm labourers were protesting under the banner of the Sanjha Mazdoor Morcha, a joint front of eight labour unions, in Sangrur on the Patiala-Bathinda highway in the morning. Around 3 pm, they started marching towards the chief minister’s house demanding an increase in minimum daily wages from ₹282 to ₹700 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), implementation of five-marla plot schemes for Dalit labourers and allotment of the third part of common panchayat land on lease to Scheduled Caste villagers , people familiar with the matter said.

Mann was in poll-bound Gujarat on Wednesday, campaigning for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP.)

Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union president Zora Singh Nasrali said police lathi-charged protesters when they were trying to move towards Mann’s residence in Dreamland Colony on Patiala road. Sangrur district police chief Surendra Lamba said they used force in self- defence: “We had to use mild force in defence as the protesters were pushing the police personnel.”

Hitting out at the state government, Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee president Mukesh Malaud said: “We have been forced to protest as the government is ignoring our demands” . He added that the CM had given an appointment for the meeting on October 3 but cancelled it.

Malwinder Singh Kang, AAP spokesperson, did not respond to repeated calls and messages.

The Sanjha Mazdoor Morcha ended its protest after the administration assured its representatives of a meeting with the CM on December 21, people aware of the matter said.