A day after Barnala DSP Satvir Singh was suspended for alleged lathicharge on protesting sanitation workers on Wednesday, the SHO of City-1 police station 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. The protesters are seeking the dismissal of the DSP and SHO and have also demanded the registration of a criminal case against all police personnel involved in the alleged lathicharge. They have further called for 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 all parties in the opposition backing 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, MLAs Rana Gurjit Singh, Pargat Singh and Kuldeep Singh Kala Dhillon are scheduled to meet the agitating sanitation workers in Barnala today to express solidarity with them.In addition, state-level leaders of sanitation workers’ unions are expected to assemble in Barnala to deliberate on their future course of action, including the proposed statewide agitation.Notably, 18 sanitation workers and four cops were reportedly injured when 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.As many as 12 sanitation workers were hospitalised, who claimed that the police were not even recording their statements.