Bihar team reaches Ludhiana to inquire local-migrants dispute

Ludhiana, Aug 27 (UNI) A three-member fact finding team from Bihar reached here this evening to inquire about the clash, which took place between the locals and migrants on Friday and other related issues.

The team, constituted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar comprises of BJP MLC Sanjay Jha, JD(U) MLCs Prof Aslam Azad and Dibesh Chander Thakur, said that they were here to establish cordial relations between the Punjabis and migrants.

The team criticised the Ludhiana police's drive to issue mandatory Identity cards to migrant labourers without which they were being subjected to harassment.

Bihar Chief Minister had had a word with Punjab's Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil in this regard, said the members of the team.

Nearly 65 people, including six policemen, were injured in police lathicharge resorted to disperse migrant labourers and local people clashing with stones, bricks and lathis on the outskirts of the city on Friday.

The police resorted to lathicharge after the migrants, staging a Dharna to protest the drive to issue mandatory identity cards to them, blocked the main road and reportedly stopped people, including women and children, from using it.

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