Punjab braces for fresh farmers' stir over relief for flood affected

Mohali is preparing for a fresh farmer’s stir amid the calls for a protest march on Tuesday over relief for the flood affected. Around 2000 policemen will be deployed in the city in the wake of the agitation call given out by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee and other farm groups on Tuesday, the Times of India reported. The IG Ropar range, the adjoining district of Mohali, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar held a high-level meeting to plan how to deal with the farmers, should the protests spiral out of hand. He asked Punjab DGP and all SPs, DSPs, SHOs and police post in-charges to stay on the roads to deal with the situation as it arises. “Special eye is being kept on those undertrials bailed out recently and active farmers supporters. Highway domination exercises are being held to check the movement of farmer leaders. All vehicles entering, exiting, and passing through main roads like airport roads are being checked. We have around 2,000 cops manning the roads from Monday evening,” said SSP Ropar Sandeep Garg. Punjab Police have also taken over 100 farmer leaders into preventive custody ahead of the march on Tuesday. Farm bodies have planned a demonstration in the capital Chandigarh to seek compensation for the losses caused by the recent floods in Punjab. Earlier yesterday, a group of farmers protestors were trying to block a national highway and toll plaza at Longowal in Sangrur. As the police tried to stop the farmers, there was a clash between the two, leading to the death of a 70-year-old protestor. The police claimed the protestor, identified as Pritam Singh, came under a tractor-trolley during the commotion and was rushed to the hospital immediately. While some accused the Police of high-handedness. “A tractor-trolly ran over an elderly farmer, Pritam Singh injuring his legs…He was immediately shifted to the hospital for treatment. Later he was referred to Patiala, and he died on the way to Patiala Hospital. This is very unfortunate,” Sangrur SSP, Surendra Lamba said. However, a few media reports said that he died allegedly after a lathi charge by the police