Punjab: Farmers protest against Railway Protection Force, RPF issues clarification

Ludhiana (Punjab) [India], December 11 (ANI): Farmers from Punjab staged a protest at the Ludhiana Railway Station on Sunday and alleged that they were forcibly deboarded by the police in the early hours of Sunday, but the Railway Protection Force stated that they were sitting in the AC coach and were asked to go to the sleeper coach.

The police forcibly deboarded them from trains at midnight while they were heading to the national capital to pay tribute to the ones who lost their lives while protesting against the three farm laws introduced by the Centre, the General Secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Sidhupur heading the protest said.

These farmers staged their protest at around 1 am while they were going from Amritsar to Singhu Border in the national capital.

According to the General Secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Sidhupur, Balwinder Singh Mann, he was heading to the Singhu border to attend a program organized to pay tribute to the farmers who lost their lives while protesting against the three farm bills introduced by the Central government. However, those three bills now stand revoked.

On contrary, the RPF officials informed that these farmers were sitting in the AC coach of the Tata Muri train and were reluctant to go to their Sleeper coach.

"By the time the complainant could reach us and we could arrive here, the farmers started protesting. However, the matter was sorted out later and the farmers went to their coach," the official said.

Mann alleged that the police forcibly took the old farmers off the trains and said that they would be taken to the police station via bus.

The sources confirmed that a senior official of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) reached the spot and explained to the agitated farmers, after which these protesters allowed the train to go with a delay of nearly 15 minutes. (ANI)