AMN / WEB DESK
Farmers who were staging Dharna near the mini-secretariat in Karnal today called off their protest after the Haryana government accepted their demands. During a meeting today, the Haryana government and the farmers reached an amicable resolution ending the deadlock. Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni, who was also part of the press conference, said they would now call off their sit-in outside the Karnal district headquarters.
Accepting the farmers’ demand, the state government today ordered a probe into the last month’s clash between farmers and police. The BJP government also sent IAS officer Ayush Sinha, who was at the centre of a row, on leave. Haryana Additional Chief Secretary Devender Singh informed that the probe will be conducted by a retired judge and will be completed within a month. Sinha will remain on leave till the committee submits its final report.
The Additional Chief Secretary also said that government jobs would be given to two family members of a farmer who had died after suffering injures during the police lathicharge as claimed by the protesting farmers.
The agitators were also demanding financial compensation for the deceased farmer’s family. However, the administration gave no such assurance.
The farmers had been demanding the suspension of Sinha, who was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to “break the heads” of farmers if they cross the line. About 10 protesters were hurt in the clash with police in Karnal on August 28 when they tried to march towards the venue of a BJP meeting.