MGNREGA workers' protest turns violent in Khanna after police crackdown
10 protesters were injured in the confrontation and had to be treated at Khanna Civil Hospital as well as private facilities.
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A demonstration by MGNREGA workers pushing for job regularisation and payment of eight months' worth of unpaid wages descended into chaos in Khanna on Wednesday, after police deployed lathi charges, tear gas, and water cannons to prevent demonstrators from reaching the residence of Punjab's Rural Development and Panchayat Minister, Tarunpreet Singh Sond.
The workers had assembled earlier in the day at Prem Bhandari Park before marching toward the minister's residence on Amloh Road, intending to hand over a memorandum calling for more than 2,000 contract-based MGNREGA employees to be absorbed into the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats permanently, along with the release of salaries that had been withheld for eight months.
The Pendu Mazdoor Union, which had thrown its support behind the demonstration, strongly criticised the police response. State president Tarsem Peter claimed the protesters were marching peacefully to deliver their memorandum when they were intercepted and assaulted, alleging that several women among the protesters were injured and mistreated by police during the incident.
In a separate, unrelated tragedy following the protest, a canter vehicle transporting MGNREGA workers back to their villages overturned after colliding head-on with another vehicle near Bija village. The crash claimed the life of one worker, identified as Sukhdev Singh, while several others sustained injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also weighed in, criticising the use of force against contract workers who were simply seeking wages they were rightfully owed. He described the government's response as outright authoritarian rule rather than governance, arguing that the voice of the people cannot be suppressed through force.
Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa urged the government to immediately clear the outstanding MGNREGA dues and resolve the workers' grievances through dialogue rather than resorting to force.
Protesters said 10 of their members were injured in the confrontation and had to be treated at Khanna Civil Hospital as well as private facilities. Several police personnel, including Khanna DSP Vinod Kumar, were also hurt during the clash.
The workers had assembled earlier in the day at Prem Bhandari Park before marching toward the minister's residence on Amloh Road, intending to hand over a memorandum calling for more than 2,000 contract-based MGNREGA employees to be absorbed into the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats permanently, along with the release of salaries that had been withheld for eight months.
Police had set up barricades around the minister's residence in anticipation of the march. When demonstrators attempted to push past these barriers, officers responded with lathi charges, tear gas shells, and water cannons to break up the crowd. According to police, the force was used only after protesters tried to breach the barricades and press forward toward the minister's home. Additional police units were brought in, and the situation was eventually brought under control.
The Kejriwal's Punjab government beat and lathi-charged Punjab employees who were protesting in Khanna after not receiving their salaries for six to eight months.
— Tajinder Bagga (@TajinderBagga) July 17, 2026
Kejriwal has made it clear to all employees: “I am not Narendra Modi, who will allow you to sit and protest against… pic.twitter.com/XBKqWzBqMV
The Pendu Mazdoor Union, which had thrown its support behind the demonstration, strongly criticised the police response. State president Tarsem Peter claimed the protesters were marching peacefully to deliver their memorandum when they were intercepted and assaulted, alleging that several women among the protesters were injured and mistreated by police during the incident.
The union further reported that Sudagar Singh, a resident of Fatehgarh Sahib, suffered fractures in both legs and had to be referred to a hospital in Mohali, given the severity of his injuries. Peter called on the Punjab government to provide free medical care and compensation to all workers injured in the clash.
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In a separate, unrelated tragedy following the protest, a canter vehicle transporting MGNREGA workers back to their villages overturned after colliding head-on with another vehicle near Bija village. The crash claimed the life of one worker, identified as Sukhdev Singh, while several others sustained injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The police action drew strong condemnation from opposition leaders. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accused the Bhagwant Mann-led government of turning the state into a "police state," arguing that the MGNREGA workers had been holding a peaceful sit-in while chanting the Sikh religious phrase "Satnam Wahe Guru," only to be met with what he called brutal treatment. He questioned the necessity of deploying water cannons, tear gas, and lathi charges against the protesting workers, asking whether this was how a government claiming to serve ordinary people should treat them. Warring demanded that the police and administrative officials responsible for what he termed an "unprovoked" crackdown be suspended.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also weighed in, criticising the use of force against contract workers who were simply seeking wages they were rightfully owed. He described the government's response as outright authoritarian rule rather than governance, arguing that the voice of the people cannot be suppressed through force.
Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa urged the government to immediately clear the outstanding MGNREGA dues and resolve the workers' grievances through dialogue rather than resorting to force.