Ahead of the planned protest by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) in Samana in Patiala district, Punjab Police on Tuesday moved to pre-empt the stir by taking 90 farmer leaders and activists into preventive custody across Sangrur district.
Among those detained are senior members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Sidhupur and activist Bhana Sidhu.
Sangrur senior superintendent of police Sartaj Singh Chahal confirmed the detentions, while superintendent of police (SP) Devinder Attri added that checkpoints have been set up, specifically in Bhawanigarh and Sullar Gharat, to intercept farmers heading toward the protest site.
In the Bhawanigarh sub division alone, DSP Rahul Kaushal confirmed 20 detentions.
Speaking during the police action, Bhana Sidhu said that the agitation would persist until the demand for stricter anti-sacrilege laws is met. He warned that if the path to Samana remains blocked, protesters will instead lay siege to local police stations.
Sukhchain Singh, a supporter of the movement, criticised the police crackdown, urging the administration to allow the “peaceful protest” .
The SKM (Non-Political) had called for the indefinite stir in Samana to back Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, who has been staging a protest atop a 400-foot BSNL tower since October 12, 2024. Khalsa is demanding the enactment of a more stringent law to address sacrilege cases in the state.
www.hindustantimes.com
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