
BKU faction leaders ‘detained' by Punjab Police day ahead of protest, alleges Dallewal
Key activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), including president Jagjit Singh Dallewal, were detained on Tuesday in various districts ahead of the call for a one-day dharna outside Shambhu police station, farmers leaders said.
According to the information, union president Dallewal has been asked by the police not to leave his residence in the Faridkot district. A team of police officials reached Dallewal village at around 4 am and asked the veteran farm leader to stay at his house for the next 3-4 days.
Police authorities, however, didn't comment on the issue, with the top brass remaining tight-lipped over the action.
Several other leaders faced a similar ordeal in different districts of the state, the farmer leaders said. Among those detained are Manjit Singh Rai and Davinder Singh.
Official sources said several other leaders are facing police action to ensure that BKU (Sidhupur) cannot mobilise its cadre for tomorrow's agitation.
The farmers' body had recently announced to hold a protest outside the Shambhu police station on Tuesday against the state government's alleged use of repressive methods to evict them from their protest morchas in March, and also demanding strict action against those people who stole many of their belongings when they were evicted.
Dallewal posted a video on his Facebook page to criticise the police action against the Sidhupur faction. He said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is harassing the farmers' rights group, which is fighting for justice.
Dallewal said the union activists were scheduled to gather outside the Shambhu police station to highlight the alleged police misconduct and harassment of union volunteers.
He said when the dharnas site at Khanauri and Shambhu were forcibly evicted by the police, the volunteers faced police misbehaviour and tractor trolleys and several other items of farmers went missing.
'When our union demanded compensation for missing articles, the state police head ensured that losses would be compensated. The missing things were traced to close associates of AAP leaders and police personnel. Instead of initiating swift action against the culprit, the police started booking individuals who were tracking the missing farmers' articles. Now, when we planned against the police conduct, the government started an attempt to derail our agitation for May 6,' said Dallewal.
On March 19, the Punjab Police had cracked down on agitating farmers, detaining their leaders in Mohali when they were returning from a meeting with a central delegation led by agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Chandigarh.
The farmer leaders and some other farmers who were detained were released in subsequent days.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
37 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Country musician Conner Smith fatally hit pedestrian with truck. No charges now, but probe ongoing
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country musician Conner Smith fatally hit a pedestrian while driving his truck in Nashville over the weekend, and he currently faces no charges as an investigation continues, police said. Metro Nashville Police said Smith, 24, hit Dorothy Dobbins, 77, Sunday evening while she was crossing the road inside a marked crosswalk. Dobbins, a retired attorney, later died at a hospital. The Tennessee Bar Association posted on its website that Dobbins had been out walking her dog when she was hit. Police say Smith showed no signs of impairment. They believe the 'preliminary contributing factor' appears to be that Smith did not yield the right of way to the pedestrian. Smith's attorney, Worrick Robinson, said his client is cooperating with the investigation. 'His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins' family during this incredibly difficult time," Robinson said in a statement. Dobbins was a leader in the city's legal aid and family law communities, where she practiced for over 40 years, according to posts by the Bar Association and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. She played a 'foundational role in opening Nashville's first domestic violence shelter,' according to a Facebook post from the Legal Aid Society, and she wrote the state's first order of protection legislation. Smith was a 2024 new male artist of the year nominee at the Academy of Country Music Awards. He released his first full-length album, 'Smoky Mountains,' in 2024. The Nashville native has had gold-certified hits with 'Take it Slow' and 'Creek Will Rise,' according to his label, Big Machine. Smith had performed at Nashville's CMA Fest over the weekend.


Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Mann, Kejriwal launch Punjab portal for 45-day approval to industry
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday launched a set of 12 initiatives as part of 'Punjab Udyog Kranti' to 'revolutionise' industrial growth in state, including ensuring all required approvals to investors within 45 days of filling application, and action against officers and officials concerned in case of any delay. They also launched the 'FastTrack Punjab Portal', set up for the purpose. 'If you want to set up a new project, start a new business, expand your business or diversify business and you apply on the portal, you will get all approvals within 45 days,' said Kejriwal. The AAP national convener said all the concerned departments will inform within seven days of filling an application for a project about any shortcomings in the proposal. Thereafter, no fresh objection can be raised in connection with the proposal, he added. 'If you are not given an approval within 45 days, then automatically you will get deemed approval,' Kejriwal said. Mann said that his government had inherited a system when the industries were fed up with extortion system during previous regimes. However, Mann said, his government 'restored the faith of industrialists' by giving them a friendly atmosphere.

The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
CM says previous AAP govt. could not manage COVID-19
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday heaped praises on the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for extending support to Delhi during the COVID-19 pandemic. She criticised the former Aam Aadmi Party government, alleging it had failed in managing the COVID-19 period and assured that the BJP government will not repeat the 'mistakes done by AAP government in the past'. Her comments came amid the re-emergence of COVID-19 cases in the country. COVID-19 cases in Delhi have been dropped by 37, bringing down the total active caseload to 691. 'The condition in which the people of Delhi spent their 11 years was quite distressing. During the COVID-19 period, the then Delhi government issued death certificates to only 97 people, whereas everyone saw the reality of overflowing crematoriums. Regrettably, those deaths were not even recorded,' said Ms. Gupta during a press conference, adding that the Centre extended a 'helping hand' during those dark days. Ms. Gupta said that the Centre provided free ration to nearly 80 lakh people at that time when the then Delhi government was 'hiding behind the closed doors'. Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, who was also present at the press conference, took on the Arvind Kejriwal government. He stated that it was the Centre that took care of Delhi when the previous AAP government left Delhi helpless during the COVID-19 period. Pointing out the development in the healthcare infrastructure in the Capital, the CM said, 'Today, AIIMS alone conducts around five lakh outpatient department (OPD) visits annually linked to Delhi, which reduces the burden on hospitals here. Corruption in the health sector was rampant during the previous government, which has now been stopped. 1,500 nurses have been permanently appointed to fill the infrastructural gaps caused by staff shortages.' CM Gupta said that the government had begun a rollout of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, enabling Delhiites to benefit from a slew of Central government's welfare programmes. She said that her administration has initiated work on 1,100 new Arogya Kendras (health centres), with 34 centres nearing completion. Their inauguration is scheduled for June 14.