Moga police on Thursday used batons and a water cannon to disperse a group of protesting farmers who allegedly tried to disrupt a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) rally led by party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, people familiar with the development said.
Around 50 farmers and at least seven policemen were injured in the clashes which erupted after protesters allegedly broke barricades to enter the rally venue at the grain market on Moga-Ferozepur road around 1pm, DSP (City) Jashandeep Singh Gill said.
Around 40 farmers were detained and several cases under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, National Highway Act and The Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act were registered against unknown persons at City Police Station, Moga, police said. Seventeen named people have also been booked in this regard, they added.
The police action on the cultivators came nearly a week after several protesters were lathi-charged while heading towards Karnal to protest against a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) meeting. Around 10 farmers were injured in the incident. On Wednesday, the Haryana government transferred Karnal sub-divisional magistrate (SDM-civil) Ayush Sinha, who was caught on camera directing police to hit protesting farmers in Karnal in their heads if they breached the security cordon.
News Source: Hindustan Times
