AGENCIES
Farmers have decided to hold a mahapanchayat Nuh district on Sunday following the Haryana Police lathi-charge on protesting farmers at Karnal’s Gharaunda toll plaza on Saturday.
Farmers’ body Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has also issued a call to farmers to block all highways and toll plazas across Haryana.
On the incident, Darshan Pal of SKM stated, “Despite a peaceful protest, the farmers were brutally attacked and lathi-charged. Hundreds of farmers have been detained by the police.” In a video on Facebook, he demanded their release.
Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Haryana chief Gurnam Singh Chadhuni appealed to farmers, “Continue blocking roads till all those who were detained are released by Haryana Police.”
Earlier in the day, SKM had instructed the protesters to block highways in Haryana till 5 pm on Saturday.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was scheduled to attend a BJP meeting in Karnal, his own constituency, on Saturday. Besides Manohar Lal Khattar, state BJP president Om Prakash Dhankar and other senior leaders of the party were present at the meeting.
Soon after Haryana Police lathi-charged protesting farmers at Karnal’s Gharaunda toll plaza on Saturday, a video of the Sub Divisional Magistrate has gone viral on social media in which he can be heard ordering police to “break the head of the protestors”.
In the video, Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha is heard saying that he is also issuing written orders to the policemen to use force against the farmers.