Moga, February 9: Over 500 farmers, including women, have been booked in Moga, Bathinda and Ferozepur districts for blocking national/state highways as part of their protest on Wednesday.
In Moga district, cases were registered against over 200 of them under Sections 283, 188 and 431 of the IPC, Section 8-B of the National Highway Act and the Punjab Instruments (Control of Noises) Act, 1956, at Baghapurana and Nihalsinghwala police stations.
The farmers had blocked highways at 36 locations in 16 districts to protest against Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for “turning away” from his pre-poll promise of a complete debt waiver to farmers.
Police officials claimed that the Duty Magistrates had conveyed to the farmers that they were violating the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court by blocking highways and using loudspeakers without permission of the competent authority, but the protesters did not listen to them.
BKU (Ekta) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri has condemned the registration of cases against the protesting farmers in various districts and demanded that these be withdrawn immediately.
“The government is not listening to the genuine demands of the farmers and so, they blocked the highways for just two hours in support of their demands,” he said.
In Bathinda district too, 219 farmers were booked for blocking highways at Maiserkhana and Lehra Bega in separate cases that were registered at Nathana and Maur police stations.
BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) district president Shangara Singh Mann, who is one of those booked, said these police cases were nothing but an attempt to muzzle the voice of farmers. He said they would not be cowed down by it and would intensify their agitation. In Ferozepur, the police have booked more than 100 farmers for blocking the Ferozepur-Zira road. However, no arrests have been made.
News Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com
