Laborers Protest for Increment near Punjab CM’s House

The Sangrur police lathi-charged agricultural laborers protesting outside the rented residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday. The workers demanded an increment of minimum daily wages to ₹700 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA), implementing five-marla plot schemes for Dalits and allotment of the third part of common panchayat land on lease to the community.

They were protesting under the flag of Sanjha Mazdoor Morcha, a joint front of eight labor unions. Hundreds of agricultural laborers assembled near Patiala-Bathinda Road in Sangrur in the morning and later around 3 pm, they marched towards the chief minister’s rented accommodation.

When they arrived outside the private colony, where Mann’s residence is located, the police began using force on them and also turned to the lathi charge.

Sangrur superintendent of police (SP) Manpreet Singh led the cane-charging and was caught hitting protestors in videos. He can be seen hitting protesters and directing other cops in the videos.

President of the Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee Mukesh Malamud said, “Earlier the chief minister had given a meeting to us but later he refused to meet us. Now, we are forced to protest to raise our demands.”