Adarsh School row: BKU plans black flag protest against state govt in Mansa

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) has announced a protest rally in Mansa on April 24 to oppose what they describe as “oppressive” actions by the Punjab government. The decision follows a state-level meeting of the union in Barnala, which was chaired by Joginder Singh Ugrahan, state president of BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan).

The union has also planned black flag protests in the coming days against the state government.

The current standoff stems from a series of allegations against the management of Adarsh Senior Secondary School, Chauke. Teachers and parents from the school have been protesting over claims of corruption and mismanagement, including unlawful staff dismissals, questionable appointments, forced role changes for existing staff, non-payment of dues for student resources and withholding teachers’ salaries.

Tensions escalated on April 5 when police allegedly lathi-charged protesting teachers at the school. The situation worsened when farmers, who had gathered outside the Rampura Sadar police station to demand the release of the arrested teachers, were reportedly subjected to police action and jailed.

Joginder Singh Ugrahan, a veteran union leader, said, “Despite a district administration committee reportedly finding the school management guilty of wrongdoing, the government and administration continue to allegedly support them.”