:dateline:As Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore summoned state�s top brass on law and order situation, Police of the state has tightened the noose around the farmers agitating against the state BJP leaders over three farm laws enacted by the saffron party-led central government of India. The Police have started using force on the agitating farmers.
The change in the behavior of the Punjab Police has become apparent from some fresh incidents that happened in Punjab today.
The Police lathi-charged hundreds of farmers gathered near the residence of BJP district president Randeep Singh Deol in Sangrur to protest the state BJP president Ashwani Kumar during his visit. Few young farmers were also injured in this lathi-charge.
Another latest instance is the case registered against the youngsters of Dhanaula village of Barnala, who played a leading role in ensuring the boycott of the village resident and senior BJP leader Harjit Grewal who is facing backlash for making negative remarks against the farmers and their agitation. The Police cited that �they had formed a gang that provokes the people�.
This took place after Badnore summoned the Punjab Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan and DGP Dinkar Gupta to question them on the alleged law and order problems in the state.
The action taken against the farmers has exposed the claims being made by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh that his government stands with the farmers and their cause. This is drawing flaks for the Amarinder government that controls the Police. People of Punjab are interpreting it as double standards of the Chief Minister. �On one hand, the Chief Minister is making statements in favour of the farmers and projecting himself as their savior, on the other he is using force and registering cases against them�, said Lakha Sidhana, a noted Punjab activist.
The Congress leaders claim off the record that the Chief Minister is under pressure from the Central government which is trying to contain the stir in Punjab by using the office of Governor, and Punjab Police is forced to take action against the farmers.
It is worth mentioning here that Amarinder Singh on Sunday lambasted the BJP Punjab leadership over its sordid attempts to lower the prestige of the high gubernatorial office by pulling the Constitutional authority into unsavoury controversies in states where it is in the Opposition in what can only be construed as a bid to get rid of democratically elected governments there.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu says in Tweet, �There�s No Law & Order problem in Punjab, Farmers dying on Delhi�s borders should be Govt�s real concern. Govt is maligning Punjabis and scuttling Our Democratic Voice by projecting us as anti-national to safeguard Reliance�s business interest & create Grounds for President�s Rule�.
[…] As Governor summons top brass, cops tighten noose around agitating farmers in Punjab […]