The Punjab Roadways/PRTC strike against the Kilometre Scheme escalated into violence in Dhuri, leaving SHO Jasvir Singh with burn injuries. Unpack the severe industrial dispute, the contractual employees’ demands for job security, and the police’s crackdown on the labor unrest across Punjab.
Punjab Roadways Contractual Protest Dhuri SHO Burn Injuries
A statewide agitation by contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) devolved into dangerous violence in the Dhuri/Sangrur region, marking a sharp and alarming escalation in the ongoing industrial dispute with the state government. The massive strike, which saw over 3,000 government buses taken off the road, has severely crippled public transport services across Punjab, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and highlighting the volatility of the unresolved labor issues.
The dramatic flashpoint occurred when police arrived in Dhuri to disperse protesters who had occupied the rooftops of buses. Officials reported that amidst the confrontation, several protesters, who were carrying bottles filled with petrol, began splashing the highly flammable liquid at the police attempting to bring them down. In the subsequent chaos, the uniform of Dhuri Station House Officer (SHO), Jasvir Singh, who had been drenched in petrol, tragically caught fire. Video clips circulating widely show the immediate panic as fellow officers rushed to extinguish the flames, a harrowing testament to the extreme tension at the protest site.
