The Punjab Police on Friday suspended DSP Satvir Singh in connection with the alleged lathicharge on sanitation workers in Barnala city on Wednesday. However, the safai sewaks warned of a statewide agitation from Monday if the DSP and the Barnala City-1 SHO Lakhwinder Singh are not dismissed. The suspension was ordered on the basis of a report submitted by DIG Patiala Range Kuldeep Singh Chahal.DSP Satvir has been suspended under Rule 4 (1) (a) of the Punjab Police Punishment and Appeal Rules, 1970, with immediate effect. During the suspension period, his headquarters will be the 4th Commando Battalion, SAS Nagar.DIG Chahal said, “The DSP has been placed under suspension on the basis of social media videos. This has been done on a prima facie basis, not on the outcome of the fact-finding report.”No action has been taken against SHO Lakhwinder, whose dismissal is also being demanded by the protesters so far. The sanitation workers are also demanding the registration of an FIR against the police personnel involved, including under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.AAP leaders offer to resignSeveral AAP leaders from the SC community have offered to resign from their posts if strict action isn’t taken against the police officers.Punjab State Safai Karamchari Commission chairman Chandan Kumar Grewal, an AAP leader, announced that he would not hesitate to resign from his post if no action was taken against the two police officers. Similarly, Sarbjit Singh Rocky Valmiki, who claims to be the AAP’s SC wing block coordinator in Mohali, said he would also resign from his post if action was not initiated. In Bathinda, sanitation workers began an indefinite strike in solidarity with their Barnala counterparts. At some places, safai sewaks also burnt effigies of the DSP, the SHO, and the state government.Oppn leaders meet workersA delegation of the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), led by Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh’s father Tarsem Singh Khalsa, visited the Barnala Civil Hospital to meet the injured protesters. He announced that the party would soon gherao the chief minister’s residence in Chandigarh over the incident and other issues.Congress leader Raj Kumar Verka also visited the hospital and expressed support for the protesters. Pradesh Congress Committee chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to apologise to the sanitation workers and take action against the police personnel concerned. “I will take these injured sanitation workers to a court to file a petition against police personnel,” said Warring.Book cops under ST/SC ActGulshan Kumar, district chief of the Barnala Safai Sewak Union, said, “The protest is still underway. Senior leaders of various Boards will arrive tomorrow to discuss the further course of action. We demand the dismissal of the DSP and SHO and the registration of a case against all police personnel involved under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The police have failed to record the statements of the injured.”Gurdeep Singh Batth, a former AAP leader, said, “DSP Satvir is close to sitting MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer. That is why he has been posted here for the past four years.”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 CM Bhagwant Mann. Acting on his directions, DSP Satvir Singh has been suspended.”