Chandigarh: After a day-long protest, the farmers lifted the roadblock across Haryana after their detained farmers were released from Karnal late in the night. This was informed by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni.
“The protesting farmers who were detained from Karnal have been released. With this, we have decided to lift the blockade of roads across Haryana,” Gurnam Singh Chaduni told news agency ANI.
Earlier in the day, around 10 people were injured as police allegedly lathicharged a group of farmers disrupting traffic movement on a highway while heading towards Karnal to protest against a BJP meeting.
Protesting farmers who were detained from Karnal have been released. With this, we have decided to lift the blockade of roads across Haryana: Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni
(Visuals from Bastara toll plaza in Karnal) pic.twitter.com/xjEBfrKKCR
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2021
Besides Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, state BJP president Om Prakash Dhankar and other senior leaders of the party were present at the meeting.
However, the state police drew severe criticism for the action against the farmers, and several roads and highways, including toll plazas, were blockaded at different places in protest.
The affected routes included the Fatehabad-Chandigarh, Gohana-Panipat, Jind-Patiala highways, Ambala-Kurukshetra, the Delhi highway near Karnal, Hisar-Chandigarh and Kalka-Zirakpur national highways. Several commuters were left stranded at highways for hours.
Lathi charge by #HaryanaPolice on farmers at #Gharaunda Toll Plaza (#Karnal), Haryan. They were opposing C.M. Manohar Lal's visit. In protest #Farmers have blocked all roads in #Haryana
1/2 pic.twitter.com/H2ZmmGN7bT— Dr. Kulbeer Singh Badal ਡਾ. ਕੁਲਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ (@kulbeersbadal) August 28, 2021
Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni alleged that the police brutally lathicharged the protesting farmers, leaving many injured.
While senior Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Darshan Pal said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had given call for road and toll plaza blockade till 5 pm Saturday to protest injuries to dozens of farmers and detaining of some farmers by Karnal police, Chaduni said road blockades will continue till all those detained in Karnal were released.
On the other side, Karnal police IG Mamta Singh told PTI, “We used mild force because they were blocking the highway. Some stones were also pelted towards the police. Mild force was used to disperse the protesters.” She said that some protesters were earlier in the day detained for maintenance of law and order and they were being released.
Section 144 imposed: Citing section 144 of the CrPC imposed in the area banning assembly of five or more people, the police made several announcements over loudspeakers, declaring the gathering by the protesters “unlawful”.
The police said the protesters were bent on moving towards the venue of the BJP meeting in Karnal. All roads leading to the venue had been heavily barricaded.
Congress slams police lathi-charge: Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala condemned the attack and dubbed the BJP-JJP regime as the “General Dyer government”. “CM-Dy CM’s conspiracy to attack farmers in Karnal is clear from the orders of the Duty Magistrate, who is ordering the police to break the heads of farmers and lash them with sticks. BJP-JJP is the ‘General Dyer’ government,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
Indian National Lok Dal senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala also strongly condemned the police action.
Swaraj India president and key leader of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha Yogendra Yadav said the lathicharge exposed the true face of the Haryana Police.
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda described the police action not only undemocratic, but inhuman too.
