Doraha Sanitation Workers Burn Effigies of CM Bhagwant Mann, Officials Over Barnala Lathi-Charge

Water supply suspended, sewerage motors shut down; union warns of "filth bomb" protest if police resort to force again
Doraha, July 24 (Amrish Anand):Strong resentment over the alleged lathi-charge on sanitation workers and municipal employees during a peaceful protest in Barnala spilled onto the streets of Doraha, where members of the Doraha Sanitation Workers Union staged a massive protest under the leadership of union president Rocky Sahota.The protesters marched from Doraha Railway Station to the bridge, raising slogans against the Punjab Government. During the demonstration, they burnt effigies of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and those allegedly responsible for the Barnala lathi-charge, demanding strict action against the officials involved.As part of the agitation, sanitation workers suspended the town's water supply and shut down sewerage pumping motors, disrupting essential civic services. The union said the move was intended to draw the government's attention to their long-pending demands and protest what it termed the "repression" of peaceful demonstrators.Addressing the gathering, Rocky Sahota condemned the police action in Barnala, describing it as an attack on democratic rights. He demanded an impartial inquiry into the incident, strict legal action against those responsible for the lathi-charge, and an immediate resolution of the long-pending demands of sanitation workers and municipal employees.The union also issued a strong warning to the Punjab Government, stating that if peaceful protesters are subjected to police force again, the agitation would intensify across the state. During the protest, some union leaders even warned that, in the event of another lathi-charge, they would respond with "filth bombs" as a symbolic form of resistance.The union reiterated that its agitation would continue through democratic means until the workers' legitimate demands are addressed and no further action is taken against protesting employees.