Punjab News: A government official who was part of a team to prevent farm fires was halted by some farmers in Bathinda, and the farmers forced him to burn a pile of stubble. This led to the Punjab Police opening a case against the farmers. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann released a video on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, denouncing the farmers’ actions, which led to the incident’s discovery.
Chief Minister’s Condemnation
According to Bhagwant Mann, the incident was “intolerable” and the government official had gone to the fields to persuade farmers not to burn the paddy straw, but the “mobsters” forced him to light the straw with a matchstick. Two farmers can be seen in the video holding the official’s hand and forcing him to light his stubble with a matchstick.
Legal Action Begins
Gulneet Singh Khurana, the senior superintendent of police in Bathinda, stated that following the incident’s viral social media footage, the police filed a case against the farmers. He said that in order to apprehend these farmers, the police are looking for them. Showkat Ahmad Parray, the deputy commissioner for Bathinda, stated on Saturday that he had written to the SSP to file a formal complaint against the farmers for impeding the official’s ability to carry out his duties.
Official Coerced by Farmers
Parray claimed that the official was taken to a nearby field and made to set fire to a mound of stubble by a group of 50–60 farmers who were loyal to a farmers’ association. “When he (official) was mobbed, what option he could have. He had no choice,” DC Parray said. “I am also visiting the village myself. We will not let it go way. Lawlessness is not something that we will tolerate,” said the DC.
Stubble Burning and Air Pollution
The burning of paddy straw in Punjab and Haryana is a primary cause of the concerning increase in Delhi’s air pollution during the months of October and November. Based on data from the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, 12,813 stubble-burning incidences have been documented in Punjab as of Friday.
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