Farmers lift protest after assurance from Punjab govt
Protesting farmers have decided to lift a week-long protest after assurance from the state government to take up their demand for pardoning the life sentence given to farmer-activist Manjit Singh Dhaner in a murder case with the Punjab governor. The delegation of farmers met principal secretary to Punjab chief minister, Suresh Kumar, and other senior officials of the civil administration and police at Chandigarh on Thursday.
Protesting farmers have decided to lift a week-long protest after assurance from the state government to take up their demand for pardoning the life sentence given to farmer-activist Manjit Singh Dhaner in a murder case with the Punjab governor.
The delegation of farmers met principal secretary to Punjab chief minister, Suresh Kumar, and other senior officials of the civil administration and police at Chandigarh on Thursday.
The farmers were on an indefinite protesting against the life sentence given to Dhaner at the Mehmadpur village grain market, 8km from the district headquarters for the last one week
Sangarsh Committee convener, Buta Singh Burjgill, said the representatives of the state government held a detailed meeting with them and assured the farmers of considering all the measures related to repealing of Dhaner’s life sentence.
“The government has assured that the file will be presented before Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore for pardoning of the life sentence under Article 161 of the Indian Constitution on Monday,” Burjgill said.
He added that following the meeting, the farmers leaders have decided to lift the protest from Patiala.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda) general secretary, Jagmohan Singh, said the farmer unions have decided to hold a state-level protest rally on September 30 at Barnala, where Dhaner is going to surrender before the district sessions court.
“We are continuing our struggle of trying to get justice for Dhaner and will fight till the end. The next course of action will be decided after the protest on September,” he said.
Dhaner was convicted on the charges of murdering a man whose relative is one of the accused in a kidnapping, rape and murder case of a student in 1997. Dhaner was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court in 2005.
On September 3, the apex court had upheld his life sentence, following which the farmers’ organisations decided to protest against the verdict.