Chandigarh: One farmer was crushed to death under a tractor in Punjab’s Sangrur district Monday following a clash with the police during an ongoing protest by farmers demanding compensation for crops damaged by floods.
The incident took place in Longowal where protesting farmers were reportedly lathi charged, leading to clashes. One of the farmers, Pritam Singh, died when he came under the tires of a tractor while trying to run away from the police. At least one policeman has reportedly been grievously injured.
Manjeet Singh Rai, head of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Doaba) shared details of the incident through a video message on X. “We intend to intensify our protests. The people of Punjab have made a mistake in electing 92 MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP),” said Rai.
Farmers belonging to a conglomerate of 16 unions from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were protesting Monday against the government for allegedly arresting their leaders in a late-night operation Sunday and on Monday morning.
The farmer unions had planned to march to Chandigarh Tuesday demanding compensation for the crops that were damaged in the recent floods in North India. Their demands include Rs 50,000 per acre compensation for crop loss, Rs 5 lakh for a damaged house and Rs 10 lakh compensation for the family of those who died in the floods.
“However, before the march could commence, several leaders of the farmers were reportedly arrested from their houses and detained,” said Dr Darshan Pal, a senior leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), to ThePrint. SKM was among the farmer unions that had led the protest against the three Central farm laws in 2021, which were ultimately repealed.
Once the news of the leader’s arrests spread, farmers started gathering at toll plazas and highways across the state Monday.
Apart from the 16 unions already protesting, other farmer unions, too, have decided to join the protest. “We have called a meeting of our member unions to decide on the next course of action. It is extremely unfortunate what happened in Sangrur today,” said Dr Darshan Pal.
In a post on X, the Punjab Police, too, termed the entire incident as “unfortunate”.
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
Describing farmer Pritam Singh’s death as a “horrendous broad daylight murder”, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal has called for a “murder case” to be registered against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and senior police officers.
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
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira said in an X post: “Shame on @BhagwantMann for the brutal Lathi-Charge today on peaceful farmers leading to the death of Pritam Singh of Longowal. It was primarily bcoz of farmers agitation that @AamAadmiParty was catapulted into power in Punjab but by inflicting torture on farmers you’re only playing the same game of BJP.”
There has been no official reaction from either the Punjab government or the AAP on the farmer’s death.
Also read: ‘New levels of corruption’ — Punjab Opposition wants AAP minister accused in land scam dismissed
‘CM Mann cheating & bluffing people’
The AAP-led Mann government in Punjab has been at the receiving end of severe criticism over purported mismanagement of the flood situation in the state.
The opposition has been attacking Mann for allegedly using the floods in the state for photo opportunities and “publicity”.
Sharing two videos on on his Facebook and X pages Saturday, Khaira alleged that the video featuring CM Mann helping flood-affected families in Hoshiarpur was “scripted”.
Breaking News-Friends plz watch both videos carefully to watch the scripted flood shoot by @BhagwantMann during his visit to V. Fatta-Kulla (Hoshiarpur) on 17th August. The person being rescued by Cm on 17th is Tarsem @ Sema of the said village was already in the boat with… pic.twitter.com/eR47hmQaZw
— Sukhpal Singh Khaira (@SukhpalKhaira) August 19, 2023
The first video, he said, showcases an AAP worker named Tarsem Singh from the village Fatta Kulla aboard a boat alongside AAP MLA Raja Gill and a camera crew, navigating through the flood-ravaged areas. The second video shows Mann revisiting the same location in a boat the following day, accompanied by Gill. In this video, Khair added, Tarsem is seen standing atop his house with his family, seemingly stranded. Mann engages in a conversation with Tarsem, offering reassurance, before issuing directions for safe evacuation of Tarsem and his family.
“This is how our CM, a professional comedian, is cheating & bluffing people on a serious issue of floods,” wrote Khaira.
Mann, too, had posted pictures of the boat ride to Tarsem’s village.
Mann was also criticised for leaving Punjab, while hundreds of acres of farm land and villages are inundated with flood waters, to campaign alongside Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
BJP leader Jaiveer Shergill said in an X post Monday that 19 out of 23 districts in Punjab were reeling under floods and more than 70,000 people had been impacted in the Fazilka area alone. Another 3,500 people were stranded in Ferozepur and more than 20,000 acres of land in Tarn Taran in 19 villages were under water.
“But-Bhagwant Mann is busy campaigning in Chhattisgarh! AAP is treating Punjab treasury like an ATM to fulfil Mr Kejriwal’s political greed. Punjab needs a chief minister not a campaign minister,” wrote Shergill.
In a video message on X Monday, Congress leader of opposition in Punjab, Pratap Singh Bajwa, said that more than 6 lakh acres of land was affected by floods and over 50,000 animals were without any fodder across Punjab. He said that at least 100 persons had died due to floods in the state. “But despite all this the CM was busy pleasing his master Arvind Kejriwal trying to look for new political ground in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh,” said Bajwa.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)