Clash between Haryana Police and protesting village Sarpanchs gathered in Panchkula againt the state government’s e-tender policy took place when they tried to break barricades and march towards Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s residence in Chandigarh to hold gherao and police had to lathicharge on huge gathering arrived from all over in the state. According to the police protesters had tried to jump over the barricades. On the other hand the protesting sarpanchs alleged police resorted to lathicharge despite their protest being peaceful as a result several protesters were injured in police action.
Earlier, Bhupeshwar Dayal, OSD to CM was deployed to met the protesting sarpanchs at Panchkula who assured them that the state government is open to discussing the matter amicably requesting not to hold blockage of traffic on the road causing inconvenience to public but the protestors were adamant to block the road, later tried to enter Chandigarh by breaking police barricades to ‘gherao’ CM house when police resorted to lathicharge. According to Haryana Sarpanch Association president Ranbir Singh more than 100 village Sarpanch and other protesters including large number of females sustained injured, some of them were sent to Civil Hospital Panchkula for the treatment and few of them having serious injuries were admitted in the hospital. After the incident, the Sarpanchs again assembled at the Panchkula-Chandigarh border and launched a dharna.
According to a police spokesperson, an FIR was registered against the protesters. He said that protesters broke the barricades despite being told about the prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CRPC and and few anti-social elements in the crowd also pelted stones on the police which caused injuries to some sarpanchs as well as caused injuries to more than 20 policemen who were rushed to the hospital for treatment thus the protestors took law ans order in hand as well as causing inconvenience to people thus blocking the road, said the spokesperson.
Newly elected Sarpanchs are protesting against the e-tendering system for development works in their rural areas since they have been authorized to have spending powers up to Rs 2 lakh only, but e-tendering mandatory for developmental projects of value above Rs 2 lakh.Aa meeting on the issue between the Haryana government and the protesting Sarpanchs held few days ago failed to find any resolution whereas Development and Panchayat Minister Devender Singh Babli told that that the e-tendering system would bring transparency and bring quality of work in development projects, but according to the Sarpanchs’ Association the new e-tendering policy would create disturbance in development works.
Sarpanchs Association warned to continue their protest if the government did not accept their demands. They said that it is an insult to public elected persons Meanwhile, the Congress, Indian National Lok Dal hit and AAP leaders in the state has strongly condemned the lathicharge on protesting Sarpanchs blaming that rul;ing BJP-JJP government in the state running the government not according to ‘prajatantra’ but with the help of ‘lathtantra’.
