Punjab farmers force officer to burn stubble, CM Bhagwant Mann says ‘severe action will be taken’

A group of farmers allegedly defied the orders of a farm fire prevention team and even forced an officer to set a heap of stubble on fire in Punjab's Bathinda district. A purported video of the entire incident went viral on social media platforms. 

In the video, farmers could be heard saying that those who came to stop stubble burning were made to set the crop residue on fire. It shows that the official's hand was held by two farmers as they forced him to set the stubble on blaze with a match stick. 

The incident took place in Mehma Sarja village on Friday when a team led by a special supervisor went there to check stubble-burning incidents.

Police have lodged an FIR in the matter after an order by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday who condemned the incident, calling it an “inhuman crime” against the people of the state.

Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray had also written to the senior superintendent of police, asking him to register an FIR against the farmers for preventing the official from discharging his duty, PTI reported.

"When he (official) was mobbed, what option he could have. He had no choice. An FIR will be lodged in the matter and those who were behind the incident will be put behind bars. I am also visiting the village myself. We will not let it go that way. Lawlessness is not something that we will tolerate," said the DC.

He further informed that the official was surrounded by a group of 50-60 farmers with allegiance to a farmer's body, took him to a nearby field, and forced him to put a heap of stubble on fire.

Bathinda Police registered a case under relevant sections 353 (assaults or use of criminal force against public servant in the execution of his duty), 186 (obstructing any public servant in discharge of public functions), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement, 506 (criminal intimidation) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code in the matter.

The chief minister said the state government cannot be a mute spectator to this “heinous” incident and allow “anarchy” to prevail. “The government official had gone there with a message of not burning stubble but the “mobsters” forced him to light it with a match stick,” said Mann.

The chief minister said such people are ruining the lives of their own children by this "dastardly act" as the smoke from these fields will suffocate their kids also, as per PTI reports. 

Citing ‘Gurbani’, the Punjab CM said the verse 'Pawan Guru, Paani Pitaah, Mata Dharat Mahat' shows how the Sikh gurus equated air (pawan) with teacher, water (paani) with father, and land (dharat) with mother.

He said this incident has reflected that their words are not honored by the people of the state. Such activities will not be tolerated at any cost and "severest of severe action" will be taken as per the law of the land, he added.

Punjab has reported a total of 14,173 stubble-burning incidents till Saturday, according to Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data.

(With PTI inputs)