This story is from November 23, 2015

Radicals go into hiding ahead of SAD rallyahead of Sadbhavna Rally

Members of Simranjit Singh Mann-led SAD (Amritsar) and farmers' organizations have gone into hiding fearing arrest ahead of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal's Sadbhavna Rally on Monday.
Radicals go into hiding ahead of SAD rallyahead of Sadbhavna Rally
BATHINDA: Members of Simranjit Singh Mann-led SAD (Amritsar) and farmers' organizations have gone into hiding fearing arrest ahead of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal's Sadbhavna Rally on Monday. The SAD (A) has called for a 'Punjab bandh' and to disrupt traffic on Monday, coinciding with the rally. Similarly, farmers have a standing call to oppose the SAD ministers with black flags everywhere.
Sources said that SAD was trying hard to make its rally a success and for this it had been taking intelligence inputs to know about the activities of members of SAD (A) and the farmers' bodies. However, no raids have been conducted to arrest anyone so far.
Meanwhile, Bathinda district administration has succeeded in prevailing upon unemployed linemen and EGS/AIE teachers to not to protest during the rally. The administration arranged meeting of unemployed linemen with deputy CM Sukhbir Badal on November 27. It also assured the teachers of arranging a similar meeting.
"We expected that the party members could be taken into custody ahead of SAD rally especially in Bathinda area. So, I had asked them go away from their houses to preempt any government crackdown ahead of Monday events. Many of the party workers have gone into hiding," said SAD (A) district president Parminder Singh Balianwali. He said that his party had resolved to stop vehicular traffic wherever possible to oppose SAD president Sukhbir Badal, who had called his party anti-national.
District president of farmers' body, BKU Ekta Urgrahan, Shingara Singh Mann said, "The farmers are committed to protest against SAD till our demand of compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre to cotton growers and Rs 20,000 per labourer family is not met. I have asked the activists to find safe places and we are planning protests parallel to Monday rally."
The district administration on Sunday held parleys with unemployed linemen union members and the EGS/AIE teachers who want their services to be regularized.

"We have been assured a meeting with deputy chief minister on November 27 regarding jobs to 4,000 unemployed persons. Going by the assurance we have decided not to disrupt Monday rally but if nothing comes of that meeting we will protest during Sadbhavna Rally to be held on November 28, at Moga," said unemployed lineman union state president Pirmal Singh.
EGS teachers' state committee member Veerpal Kaur said, "We have been assured that our demands will be looked into so we have deferred our protest."
Bathinda SSP Swapan Sharma said that full-proof security arrangements were in place in the district and nobody would be allowed to take law into its hands.
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