Amritsar: Farmers Union protests demanded to shut the liquor plant at Ferozepur, Punjab on Tuesday. Protesting farmers came face-to-face with police officials as they continue to protest outside a liquor factory in Ferozepur's Zira. The cops lathicharges the protesters which takes a violent turn.
Kanwardeep Kaur, Ferozepur SSP said, "on Monday 46 people were arrested after they tried to stop police vehicles. No lathi charge happened, and no action was taken against any innocent person. Don't believe in any false rumour." Crowds rush to Punjab liquor plant on farm leaders’ call as the deadline to shift protest looms.
The farmers are protesting since Sunday after the reopening of the liquor factory. They want the government to withdraw the NOC (No Objection certificate). The protesters blocked the National Highway, said that the factory will not only impact the local habitat but will also damage the water sources of the area and are seeking a ban on it.
The Punjab High Court issued a deadline to shift protesters camped outside the liquor plant in Ferozepur, police and protesters clashed for a second consecutive day in Mansurwal village where over 2,000 policemen have been deployed to maintain law and order. The agricultural ministers had twice tried to evade them from protesting but in vain.
The situation intensified as the people protesting against the liquor factory engaged in a clash with the police. The protest at the Zira liquor factory in Ferozepur started on July 24. Protest continues at the Malbros International Private Limited, an alcohol-making unit at Mansurwal village of Zira assembly segment in Ferozepur for the past five months, crippling operations and forcing the management to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court for relief.
Meanwhile, BJP slammed the AAP government to laathicharge the farmers for their shutting down the liquor factory stating "AAP ka laathicharge sarkar". BJP ministers also alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Maan and the AAP government is beating farmers with laathis and are "anti-farmer government". The party also said that these farmers only want the liquor factory to be shut for that they are being canned. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said, "this isn't the first time that the AAP government is doing this, earlier in Sangroor farmers were beaten for their basic rights when they were protesting against the Chief Minister's residence. AAP's true face of anti-farmers had come up since the government had used cops to laathicharge the farmers instead of listening to them."
A monitoring committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and Punjab Pollution Control Board acting on a complaint by the protesters, had collected soil and water samples from inside and around the plant in August had issued a clean chit to the plant in July after probing the allegations levelled against its management by the protesters which the protesters have refused to acknowledge.