Four Congress Members of Parliament from Punjab have written to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), seeking its immediate intervention in the alleged police excesses against sanitation workers belonging to the Scheduled Caste community in Barnala.In a letter dated July 28 addressed to NCSC Chairperson Kishor Makwana, the MPs — Dharamvir Gandhi (Patiala), Dr Amar Singh (Fatehgarh Sahib), Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (Ludhiana) and Gurjeet Singh Aujla (Amritsar) — requested the Commission to examine the matter under its constitutional mandate.The letter states that sanitation workers were protesting peacefully for their legitimate rights and demands when the administration and police allegedly used excessive force, including a baton charge, resulting in injuries to several workers.The workers have already approached the Commission, seeking an impartial inquiry and appropriate legal action, the MPs noted.Highlighting concerns over the protection of the constitutional rights, dignity, and safety of members of the Scheduled Caste community, the Congress MPs urged the NCSC to seek a report from the Punjab Government and the district administration, ensure an impartial inquiry, and recommend measures to safeguard the rights of the affected persons and ensure accountability in accordance with the law.The letter comes amid ongoing protests by sanitation workers in Barnala. Clashes between protesting workers and the police on July 22 left several people injured, following which the Barnala DSP was suspended. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have been supporting the agitators, who are demanding regularisation of services, better wages and other benefits.