SAD’s MP from Bathinda and former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday faced protests from the farmers during her visit to villages in Mansa district, forcing her to cancel the four scheduled programmes in other villages.
Farmers staged protests against Harsimrat, who was to pay condolences to the families of slain farmers and deceased members of the party in the villages. The protesters shouted slogans, waved black flags, and even tried to gherao her convoy during her visit — the first after resigning from the Union Cabinet.The protesters claimed that the SAD and Harsimrat Badal had supported the controversial farm bills when these were tabled in the Cabinet and now they are doing a drama and befooling the people.
It has also been learnt that the family of Piara Singh, a farmer who died during the agitation at Dharampura village, refused to meet Harsimrat.
Meanwhile, SAD’s youth wing — Youth Akali Dal (YAD) — said that the Congress Government misused the Mansa police to orchestrate a dummy protest against Harsimrat and even lathi charged YAD workers after getting jittery at the resolute manner in which former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal advocated the cause of the farming community at Takth Sri Damdama Sahib a day before.YAD president Parambans Singh Romana said that it was shameful on the part of the Mansa police to position the “protesters” in houses near which the cavalcade of the former Union Minister was to pass and then bring them forward to stage a dummy protest.
“When YAD workers stepped in and took the sponsored protesters head-on, the Mansa police formed a six-line cordon around them and even lathi-charged YAD workers when they forced the dummy protesters to beat a hasty retreat,” he said.
Warning the State police not to indulge in such mischievous acts, Romana said: “YAD workers will not sit back if motivated attacks are organized against our leaders. The State police and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh will be directly responsible if any untoward incident occurs due to this.”
He also asked the Chief Minister to hold the Mansa SSP responsible for instigating violence against an elected representative and a former union minister and initiate disciplinary action against him.