Saturday, March 29, 2025
In Ludhiana’s Akhara village near Jagraon town, a confrontation erupted between police and villagers protesting against the establishment of biogas factories. The administration had deployed over 500 police personnel to control the ongoing protests, which have been continuing for several months demanding the closure of these factories.
Police forcibly dispersed protesters from the fields and conducted a baton charge when the demonstrations did not subside. Senior police officials appealed to women protesters to persuade men to end the agitation, but the situation escalated. Police also formed a human chain to contain the protesters.
Prior to this, several farmer leaders had been taken into custody by the administration. Police dismantled tents and sheds set up by the villagers, causing significant anger among the locals. Farmer Surjit Singh stated that many people were detained and their whereabouts remain unknown. The entire village was turned into a police camp, and early in the morning around 4:30 am, clashes broke out in the village.
Even the announcements at the local Gurudwara Sahib were stopped. The villagers have united and vowed not to allow the biogas factory to be established under any circumstances. Police seized goods worth approximately Rs 10 lakh from the villagers and loaded them onto trucks. This protest has been ongoing for nearly a year, and today the entire village was sealed off. The use of force by police has caused widespread anger against the Punjab government among the villagers.
