The Haryana Police on Wednesday said it had started the process to cancel the passports and visas of protestors involved in breaking barricades and vandalising properties at the Punjab border during the recent farmer protests, The Indian Express reported.
Ambala Deputy Superintendent of Police Joginder Singh told the newspaper that the police were taking action against “rowdies” who came from Punjab to Haryana and caused disturbances during the protests. He added that not all the participants engaged in such acts.
“Through CCTV or drone cameras and videography, we have identified such persons engaged in breaking barricades or causing disturbances,” Singh said. “We have also taken numerous photographs in which they are seen vandalising properties and causing disturbances through different means.”
The police officer said they were initiating the process of cancelling the passports and visas of the identified persons by getting in touch with the passport authorities and embassies. “We are initiating action for the cancellation of their visas and passports by accessing their photos and residential details,” he added.
Meanwhile, farmer leaders in Haryana said the police had put up notices on their houses stating that losses incurred to public and private properties during the farmers’ protests would be recovered by seizing the leaders’ properties and freezing their bank accounts, The Indian Express reported.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) Haryana spokesperson Tejveer Singh said that their phones had also been put under surveillance. “Police are visiting our houses because we are protesting against the government and raising our genuine demands,” he said.
On February 13, farmers’ groups from Punjab began a march to Delhi to push for a law guaranteeing a minimum support price for agricultural commodities and the implementation of the MS Swaminathan Commission Report’s wider recommendations on farming in India.
On the same day, the Haryana Police used water cannons, drones and tear gas shells to stop the farmers from entering the state. Since then, thousands of protestors, led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been stationed at various locations on the Punjab-Haryana border.
Leaders of the farmers’ groups had last week put their march to Delhi on hold till Thursday, after the death of Shubhkaran Singh, a 22-year-old protestor, on February 21. Singh had died due to a head injury sustained allegedly during police action against the farmers at Khanauri near the state border.
The Punjab Police on Thursday registered a zero first information report in Singh’s case.
Punjab Inspector General of Police Sukhchain Singh Gill said that the zero FIR had been registered after consulting legal experts. “Further investigation will be done as per the law,” said Gill.
Following this, Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said that Singh’s last rites would be performed later during the day as the police had lodged the first information report, The Economic Times reported.
“We have received the information that a first information report has been lodged under sections 302 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code,” Pandher said, adding that Singh’s last rites will be done at his native village.
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