Member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), New Delhi, Priyank Kanoongo said on Wednesday that the commission will take action against senior Punjab Police officials if an FIR was not registered against the cops involved in the Barnala lathicharge.
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Meanwhile, the sanitation workers’ protest continues in Barnala, affecting garbage collection and disposal operations. Gulshan Kumar, district president of the Safai Karamchari Union, said the union, along with farmer organisations, the Class 4 employees union, and several other groups will march through Barnala as part of the statewide Punjab Bandh on July 30.
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On July 22, police resorted to a lathicharge in Barnala to disperse protesting sanitation workers after they allegedly tried to block a garbage clean-up drive by the district administration. While the police maintained that force was used after the protesters turned violent, the workers accused the police of excessive force, alleging that even women protesters were beaten up with canes. The clash left 22 people injured, including 18 sanitation workers and four police personnel. Sanitation workers in Barnala had been on strike since July 8 to demand regular job contracts for outsourced staff, salary increase and restoration of the old pension scheme.
Following the incident, the state government suspended Barnala DSP Satvir Singh, while Barnala City-1 station house officer (SHO) Lakhwinder Singh was transferred to the district police lines.
The commission member also said it will not hesitate to take the matter to the Supreme Court if required. He assured full support to the workers who sustained injuries. “The commission has already issued a notice to the DGP and chief secretary to submit an action-taken report within two weeks,” he said. He also met with the injured who are undergoing treatment at the civil hospital.
