Jaipur, Dec 11 (IANS) The ongoing protests against the Dune Ethanol Private Limited factory in Hanumangarh district intensified on Thursday as police detained Congress MLA Rupinder Singh Kunnar along with several party workers who were heading to a farmers’ meeting.

Despite a heavy police presence, the meeting was later held at the Gurdwara Singh Sabha complex in Tibbi, where a large number of women participated. Farmers reiterated that their agitation would continue until their demands were addressed. The police have registered cases against more than 107 farmers and villagers, and 40 people have been detained for the violence on Wednesday.

A day earlier, tensions escalated when protesters in Rathikheda village allegedly broke the boundary wall of the under-construction ethanol plant and set fire to its office.

This triggered heavy stone-pelting between police and farmers, injuring 10-12 policemen and several protesters, including Sangaria MLA Abhimanyu Poonia. Many injured farmers took refuge in a Gurdwara overnight.

With the situation remaining volatile, internet services were suspended in the Tibbi area on Thursday. Around 30 families living near the factory have reportedly vacated their homes out of fear.

Chandigarh-based Dune Ethanol Private Limited is setting up a 40-megawatt grain-based ethanol plant in Rathikheda, which the company says will support the Centre’s ethanol-blended petrol programme.

Though protests had been largely peaceful from September 2024 to June 2025, anger surged in July 2025 when construction of the boundary wall began. Construction resumed under police protection on November 19, resulting in multiple arrests.

On November 20-21, around 67 farmers courted arrest. The situation spiralled on December 10 when hundreds of farmers marched to the factory site with tractors after holding a protest outside the Tibbi SDM office, eventually leading to the breakdown of the wall and violent clashes.

The ethanol factory is expected to generate 700-800 direct jobs and over 1,000 indirect employment opportunities.

According to ADG VK Singh, “outsiders” were involved in provoking the violence. Singh said police exercised maximum restraint and did not open fire.

The administration stated that 14 vehicles were set ablaze, while police confirmed that over 36 policemen were injured, five of them critically.

–IANS

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