A day after Barnala DSP Satvir Singh was suspended over the alleged lathicharge on protesting sanitation workers, City-1 police station SHO Inspector Lakhwinder Singh has been transferred to the district police lines.

The action comes amid mounting pressure from sanitation workers, who have threatened to launch a statewide agitation from Monday if their demands are not met. They are seeking the dismissal of the DSP and SHO, registration of a criminal case against all police personnel involved in the alleged lathicharge, and the inclusion of provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the case.

The issue has also drawn political attention, with opposition parties extending support to the protesters.

Senior Congress leaders, including Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and MLAs Rana Gurjit Singh, Pargat Singh and Kuldeep Singh Kala Dhillon, are scheduled to meet the agitating sanitation workers in Barnala on Saturday to express solidarity with them.

State-level leaders of sanitation workers’ unions are also expected to assemble in Barnala to deliberate on their future course of action, including the proposed statewide agitation.

Notably, 18 sanitation workers and four police personnel were reportedly injured when the clash erupted on Wednesday after the district administration, assisted by the police, began lifting garbage during the sanitation workers’ strike. The workers opposed the move near SD College, where the police allegedly resorted to a lathicharge.

Later, when protesters gathered at Handiaya Bazar and allegedly hurled garbage at the police, another round of lathicharge reportedly followed.

The sanitation workers had been on strike, demanding regularisation of services and raising several other issues, with garbage continuing to accumulate across the city.

As many as 12 sanitation workers were hospitalised after the clashes. They claimed that the police had not recorded their statements.