Chandigarh: The atmosphere outside the liquor factory in Zira, Ferozepur, has become tense after police had registered a case against the protesters.
The police have now forcibly started moving the protesters and took many into custody on Sunday morning.
The police have stopped people going towards the factory. Now the police force is going to remove the sit-in in front of the factory. The police have uprooted the tents of protesters from the spot.
The protesters said the police had made all preparations on December 17 itself to detain them. For this reason, the lights were kept off all night. So that if given a chance, the police can take people into their custody.
All the villagers, including the protesting women, continue to protest fiercely against the police action. Protesters have threatened to block the Bathinda-Amritsar National Highway-54 if people are detained by the police.
Women and other protesters are trying to move towards the national highway. But they have also been detained by the police.
Three days ago, the police had parked a rioting vehicle, safe guard shield of policemen, medical team, Reserve Police Force, JCB and other vehicles at the spot. Preparations for the sit-in had already been completed by the police department. However, talks were held with the protesters till December 17. But strict action has been taken today if there is no consensus.
Video/photography of the spot is also being done by the police. Because this action is being taken by the state government and the police on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
SSP Kanwardeep Kaur said that action is being taken as per law. Those who stopped the police vehicles have been arrested. He said that 2,000 police personnel have been deployed to comply with the orders of the High Court.
She said that the High Court has given instructions to hold a sit-in protest three hundred meters away from the factory. The situation was under control.
In Zira, various farmer organisations and locals have been protesting for nearly 148 days. Yesterday, Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal also reached there to talk to the protesters, but no consensus was reached. After this, now the Punjab government has taken legal action.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the state government to lift the sit-in protest with a fine of Rs 20 crore. Since then, the state government and police forces have been trying to lift the sit-in in front of the liquor factory, but various farmers’ organisations, including people from around 40 nearby villages, have strongly opposed the police action. The protesters have made it clear to the government that the protest will not be stopped until the factory is closed.
CM has formed 5 committees
CM Bhagwant Mann has constituted 5 committees to solve all the problems on December 16. This information has also been shared by the Agriculture Minister with the people sitting on the sit-in, but despite the assurance of the Minister, the protesters are not ready to end the protest. People are claiming that drinking water is poisonous, including many types of diseases and crop damage due to the liquor factory.
Meanwhile, the factory operators had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court over the losses caused by the farmers’ sit-in. The High Court, while hearing the case, ordered the Punjab government to pay Rs 15 crore. Also, orders were given to end the protest to start the operation of the distillery.