Latest news with #BhartiyaKisanUnion
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
BKU protests in Bathinda, accused govt of suppressing their voice
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) staged a protest outside the Bathinda district administrative complex (DAC) against the Punjab government on Monday. Union president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is oppressing the rights of farmers as they are not being allowed to raise their voice in support of their issues. He said the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government is working for corporate houses by acquiring land in rural areas with inadequate compensation to farmers. Ugrahan alleged the state government is trying to forcibly evict the cultivators at Jeond village in Bathinda to benefit the landowners.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Sangrur protesters' detention oppressive move, say farmer unions
Farmer unions have termed the police action as oppressive wherein around 400 members of the Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee (ZPSC) were detained while they were marching towards Bir Aishwan in Sangrur district to take possession of a big chunk of land, claiming it had no heir, on May 20. According to ZPSC, the 927-acre land, owned by the erstwhile princely state of Jind, had no heir following the death of its last ruler. The ZPSC has been demanding distribution of the said land among landless people under the Land Reforms Act. Manjit Singh Dhaner, president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Dakaunda), said, 'The police believe this movement can be suppressed by force.' Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), said, 'The imprisonment is unjust and land ceiling law should be implemented, ensuring that land held by landlords exceeding 17.5 acres is distributed among the working class,' he said. SSP Sartaj Singh Chahal said around 150 members are still detained. 'It is preventive detention keeping in mind the law and order. Further action will be taken accordingly,' he said.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Cop-farmer clash leaves several injured in Amritsar
A clash between protesting farmers and police left several persons, including farmers and a woman constable injured, outside Guru Nanak Dev University's main campus in Amritsar on Thursday. The clash happened when police tried to stop farmers, who were travelling on their tractor-trolleys on Ram Tirath road near the university campus. This led to heated arguments between the cops and farmers, which soon escalated into a scuffle. Police had to resort to mild lathi-charge and also detained 100 activists. Leaders of Jagjit Singh Dallewal-led Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Sidhupur) had given a call for the protest after a bank seized a farmer's property falling under the jurisdiction of police station Division-B in compliance with the orders of Punjab and Haryana high court on May 16. BKU leader Palwinder Singh Mahal said the protesters were proceeding towards the Amritsar deputy commissioner's office to hand over a charter of demands. 'The farmers were supposed to gather at Ranjit Avenue ground and then proceed with the protest. However, the police prevented us from doing so. The cops stopped a group of farmers, who were coming from the Ram Tirath area on tractors-trolleys. The police resorted to a lathi charge without any provocation. As many as 5-6 farmers sustained injuries and are admitted to hospitals,' Mahal said. Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Harpal Singh Randhawa said that police had to resort to minor lathi-charge to stop the farmers who tried to break through the barricades with their tractors. 'Later they blocked the road and as many as 100 farmers have been detained. Two school children were injured as the farmers, upon seeing the police, tried to speed away in their trolleys. A motorcyclist was also injured,' the ADCP added. ADCP added that no FIR has been registered after the incident and assured of action against the farmers who blocked the road. DSP (investigation) RPS Sandhu said action will be taken against the farmers who blocked the road. 'A woman constable also sustained injuries during the clash,' he added. ADCP Randhawa said cops asked the protesters to clear the road but when they remained adamant around 100 activists were detained. The detained farmers have been released, police said. Farmer leader Mahal said the farmers wanted to submit memorandums regarding property confiscation due to unpaid bank loans during the COVID-19 lockdown. 'The police blocked our way with barricades and then attacked us without any justification,' he added.
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Farmers' body urges Centre to utilise Indus River water to tackle irrigation woes in North India
NEW DELHI: The farmers' organisation Bhartiya Kisan Union (Non-political) has urged Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, to initiate discussions with farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Western Uttar Pradesh on the utilisation of the water from the Indus River Basin to address regional water shortages. In its letter to Chauhan, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) called for rectifying the mistake made by the previous government regarding the agreement with Pakistan. 'It's time to correct the errors of previous governments concerning the Indus Water Treaty, which favours Pakistan over Indian farmers,' stated Dharmendra Mallik, spokesperson for BKU (Non-political). Previously, many farmers' leaders supported the Indian government's decision to keep the treaty in abeyance or temporarily suspend it while demanding a review of its terms. The 65-year-old treaty was suspended by India following the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people. This attack prompted India to carry out precision strikes targeting terror camps deep within Pakistan.
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
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.
