The police on Friday suspended Barnala DSP Satvir Singh in connection with the alleged lathicharge on sanitation workers in Barnala city on Wednesday. Protests over the incident continued, with sanitation workers warning of a statewide agitation from Monday if DSP Satvir Singh and Barnala City-1 SHO Lakhwinder Singh are not dismissed.The suspension was ordered based on a report submitted by DIG Patiala Range Kuldeep Singh Chahal. According to the suspension order issued by the office of the Punjab DGP, the DSP has been suspended with immediate effect under Rule 4(1)(a) of the Punjab Police (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970. During the suspension period, his headquarters will be the 4th Commando Battalion at SAS Nagar.DIG Kuldeep Singh Chahal said, “Based on the videos circulating, the DSP has been placed under suspension today. This action has been taken on a prima facie basis, and not on the basis of the final fact-finding report.”However, no action has so far been taken against SHO Lakhwinder Singh, whose dismissal is also being demanded by the protesters.The sanitation workers are also demanding that an FIR be registered against the police personnel involved, including under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.Meanwhile, some AAP leaders from the SC community have threatened to resign from their party posts if strict action is not taken against the police officers.For instance, Punjab State Safai Karamchari Commission chairman Chandan Kumar Grewal, an AAP leader, said he would not hesitate to resign if action is not taken against the two police officers. Similarly, Sarbjit Singh Rocky Valmiki, who claims to be AAP’s SC wing block coordinator in Mohali, also said he would resign if action is not taken.The protest has already spread to several districts. It reached Bathinda on Friday, where sanitation workers began an indefinite strike in solidarity with their Barnala counterparts. At some places, sanitation workers also burnt effigies of the DSP, SHO, and state government.A delegation of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), led by Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh’s father Tarsem Singh Khalsa, visited Barnala Civil Hospital to meet the injured protesters. The delegation announced that the party would soon gherao the Chief Minister’s residence in Chandigarh over the incident and other issues. Senior Congress leader Raj Kumar Verka also visited the hospital and expressed support for the protesters.Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to apologise to the sanitation workers and take action against the police personnel involved. “I will take these injured sanitation workers to court to file a petition against the cops,” Warring said. He also challenged Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman Jasvir Singh Garhi to act in the matter.Gulshan Kumar, district president of the Barnala Safai Sewak Union, said, “The protest is continuing, and all senior leaders of our union and various boards will arrive tomorrow to decide the further course of action. Our demand is the dismissal of the DSP and SHO, and the registration of a case against all police personnel involved, including under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. So far, no police personnel have come to record the statements of the injured.”Gurdeep Singh Batth, a former AAP leader, said, “This DSP is close to sitting MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer. That is why he has been posted here for about four years.”The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes, and Punjab State Commission for Women have already sought reports from the authorities regarding the incident.The clash erupted on Wednesday after the district administration, with police assistance, 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 were already on strike, demanding regularisation and raising several other issues, with garbage continuing to accumulate across the city.After the DSP’s suspension, Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said, “The incident involving sanitation workers in Barnala was deeply unfortunate and highly condemnable. The matter was discussed in detail with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Acting on the Chief Minister’s directions, the concerned DSP Satvir Singh has been suspended with immediate effect pending further action.”