Bathinda police have booked as many as 400 activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) (Ekta-Ugrahan) at Jeond village in Rampura Phul, following violent clashes on Wednesday. The police, in a statement, said the activists from BKU came with the intention to cause harm to public servants.
Both sides allegedly resorted to stone-pelting. The police, in response, lobbed teargas shells to disperse the crowd and restore order. Earlier, on February 6, police had filed FIRs at three different police stations against over 2,000 unidentified persons for trying to take a DSP and other officers hostage, when protests turned violent.
The crowd, according to police, broke barriers, blocked the national highway, and disturbed law and order during a protest. On both occasions, the farmers had tried to march to the Bathinda District Administrative complex to begin an indefinite protest, seeking the release of Shagandeep Singh Jeond and Baldev Singh Chauke.
They were arrested in an attempted murder case for allegedly attacking a police team in January last year and have been in jail since April 2025.
According to reports, more than 20 farmers were injured in the latest clashes, with many detained by the police for disturbing public order. The SDM, Rampura Phul, sustained a minor injury.
The farmers also held a protest march at Gobindpura village, demanding cancellation of FIRs and a fair probe into the clash.
In a separate development, the leaders of the farmers' unions said two activists, though granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, could not be released, as a copy of the order was awaited.
Meanwhile, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha has announced plans to hold a massive rally at Barnala on March 10, against the India-US trade deal that includes the agricultural sector.
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