A farmer lost his life and seven policemen were injured during protests by farmers in the Longowal area of Sangrur on 21st August, Monday. The farmers in the area were staging protests in demand for financial compensation to flood-hit farmers. The stir was ongoing for the last several days. The deceased farmer has been identified as 70-year-old Pritam Singh.
Reg unfortunate death of a protester today at Longowal,it is clarified that as per witnesses & videos d deceased was overrun by a rashly driven tractor trolley by protesters,which also severely injured a police inspector who narrowly escaped from getting crushed.Our condolences🙏 pic.twitter.com/iKuYGG4ENN
— Sangrur Police (@SangrurPolice) August 21, 2023
Tensions were heightened following a clash between the police and the protesting farmers who were going to participate in a stir in Chandigarh. They clashed with the police after the latter tried to stop them from proceeding to block a road and a toll plaza near Badbar village on the Sangrur-Barnala highway. The police clarified that no lathi-charge was done by them.
The police said that the farmer died due to rash driving by protesters. “Unfortunate death of a protester today at Longowal, it is clarified that as per witnesses & videos the deceased was overrun by a rashly driven tractor trolley by protesters, which also severely injured a police inspector who narrowly escaped from getting crushed. Our condolences,” the Sangrur police wrote on its Twitter account.
Senior police officer SSP Surendra Lamba reportedly said that the tractors and trolleys filled with protesters forced their way through the barricades that were put in place by the cops. He also reportedly said that some protesters turned violent and attacked the police with sticks. He said that the protests turned violent during protests by BKU (Azad).
A Tractor-trolly ran over a farmer injuring his legs…He was immediately shifted to the hospital for treatment, he succumbed to his injuries. No lathi charge was done, the protesters breached the barricades and continued moving: Sangrur SSP Surendra Lambapic.twitter.com/ORxJnFlb19
— Dr Ranjan (@AAPforNewIndia) August 21, 2023
A video has been doing the rounds from the protest site where a tractor-trolley can be seen mowing a person at the wheel and at a close distance a cop can be seen on the ground trying to reason with the farmers who have surrounded him.
The SSP says that even after trying to reason peacefully with the farmers, they were not ready to understand. “Some people got violent and attacked our people (cops) and one got injured in the face. Inspector Deependra sustained serious injuries owing to rash driving (by farmers). One or two people have been injured in the face.”
The Shorimani Akali Dal has demanded action against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. “The horrendous broad daylight murder of a beleaguered and peacefully protesting farmer Pritam Singh at Longowal (in CM’s home district Sangrur) has sent shock waves throughout the state, especially among the farmers. A murder case should be registered against the Chief Minister @BhagwantMann as it was done on his orders. The senior police officers, who executed this, should also be booked,” Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal demanded.
Horrendous broad daylight murder of a beleaguered and peacefully protesting farmer Pritam Singh at Longowal (in CM’s home district Sangrur) has sent shock waves throughout the state especially among the farmers. A murder case should be registered against the Chief Minister… pic.twitter.com/hskUHTGC1j
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) August 21, 2023
A call to reach Chandigarh was given by 16 farmers’ organisations including Kisan Majdoor Sangh Samiti, Bhartiya Kisan Union (K), BKU (Azad), Azad Kisan Samiti, Doaba, BKU (Behramke), and Bhoomi Bachao. Notably, the Aam Aadmit Party (AAP) which is in power in Punjab had supported the farm protests in 2020-2021.
