A group of farmers, seeking relief for crop damage, allegedly held 12 government officials hostage for several hours inside a sub-tehsil office at Lambi in Muktsar district.
According to an official, the police freed the officers, including the naib-tehsildar and patwaris, late on Monday night after the protesters refused to let them go.
Farmers are demanding relief for the damage caused to the cotton crop by pink bollworm.
Revenue officials went on strike on Tuesday in protest against the incident in the state.
A leader of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), an organization that supports the farmers’ group, claimed on Tuesday that seven protesters were injured as the police used “force” to disperse them, with officials refusing the allegation. denied.
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The farmers also staged a sit-in outside the sub-tehsil office on Tuesday and blocked the road for a few hours.
A group of over 100 farmers under the banner of Farm Union staged a protest outside sub-tehsil in Lambi on Monday, police said.
Police said the protesters entered the office building in the evening and held the officers hostage till midnight.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandeep Kumar Malik said that 12 government officials were taken hostage.
The SSP said senior police officials and the sub-divisional magistrate there tried to pacify them and assured a meeting with higher officials to address their concerns.
Malik told PTI over phone, but he was adamant and the officers were held hostage till late in the night.
He said that keeping in mind the safety of the people held hostage, the administration has directed the police to bring them out safely.
Malik denied reports that the police used force against the farmers to free the officers.
“We freed the officers in a restrained and peaceful manner. No force was used. Before we went to free the officers, we requested them (farmers) several times that they can hold their dharna but not the government officials. Doing one’s duty cannot be held captive,” he said.
He said that later an FIR was registered based on the written complaint of the officials. Malik said that an FIR has been registered against eight to nine people and some unidentified persons.
Meanwhile, BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri claimed that seven farmers were injured on Monday night when police used “force” to disperse them.
“The injured have been admitted to the hospital,” he said.
He said this is not the first time that farmers have protested demanding relief for the damage caused to their cotton crop.
They said they have been protesting for months but have not yet received compensation.
“If the AAP government also resorts to suppressing the right voice of farmers, it cannot be tolerated,” he said.
He demanded that the FIR lodged against the farmers in Lambi be quashed.