Bathinda on alert as Punjab Police block entry points, use tear gas to stop Bharatiya Kisan Union protest

Security was stepped up across Bathinda on Friday as police moved to prevent members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union from entering the city to hold a protest.

The Punjab Police blocked key entry points into Bathinda and used tear gas to disperse groups of protesting farmers who attempted to breach the security cordon. The measures were aimed at ensuring that the protest did not disrupt public order or traffic movement within the city.

"Today, the Bharatiya Kisan Union group has called for a protest. To prevent this, police have been deployed in Bathinda and the surrounding districts to maintain law and order. We have deployed approximately 1500 personnel. There have been no incidents of violence so far," said Bathinda SSP Jyoti Yadav Bains.


The restrictions were imposed to avoid disruption to public order and traffic, as the union had announced plans to stage a protest outside the District Administrative Complex and hold a gathering at Bhucho Khurd village.

Earlier in the day, police action was reported from several parts of the state ahead of the protest.

Visuals from Barnala district showed a brief scuffle between BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) members and police personnel at Tapa, where farmers attempting to move towards Bathinda were stopped at barricades.

Similar preventive measures were taken in other districts as well.

Bathinda Protest: Farmer leaders detained

Union leaders have alleged that several of their members have been detained across Punjab ahead of the protest.

Senior BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) leader Sukhdev Singh claimed that leaders and activists were taken into preventive custody in districts including Bathinda, Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Moga.

"Many of our leaders have been detained at different parts of the state, including Bathinda, Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Moga," Singh said.

He said the protest was being organised to press for the release of two BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) leaders who have been lodged in Bathinda jail since April last year, following the union’s support to protesting teachers over alleged corruption at a school.

"We have been demanding the release of two BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) leaders who have been lodged in Bathinda jail since April last year. Their arrests came after our union supported a group of teachers who were protesting against alleged corruption at a school," he added.

Angered by the detentions, farmers staged sit-in protests at several locations across Punjab, even as police maintained a tight vigil to prevent any escalation.

(With PTI inputs)