Punjab Police clears Patiala’s PSPCL office of protesting farmers

Farmers who had been demonstrating outside the PSPCL office in Patiala district for the previous several days in support of their demands were evicted by the Punjab Police on Tuesday.

Additionally, the police detained several farmers as a precaution.

Tuesday morning, a sizable police presence arrived at the protest location and dispersed it.

Inspector General of Police Mukhwinder Singh Chhina informed reporters in Patiala that the protestors had been removed from the area with the use of “mild force” and that the dharna had been called off. He said that certain farmer leaders who were on a hunger strike, including Jagjit Singh Dallewal, were brought for medical examinations.

He said that the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited’s (PSPCL) three gates had all been unlocked.

A splinter group of the SKM called the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) has been staging demonstrations in front of the PSPCL headquarters since June 8.

The demonstrators, who were led by Dallewal, demanded that the state government cease charging commercial rates for power connections for auxiliary industries like dairying in addition to opposing the installation of smart meters.

The demonstrators had set up camp outside PSPCL’s gates, obstructing admission for authorities and interfering with the power company’s regular operations. Inconveniencing commuters, they had even set up tents on the road leading to the PSPCL headquarters.

On June 11, renowned wrestler Vinesh Phogat also joined the demonstration.