Farmers on Tuesday said the talks with the Haryana government regarding their demand for action against police lathi-charge on August 28 have failed, and that they would continue their protest unless their demands are met. Haryana BKU (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni told News18, “Talks have failed…will decide next course of action.”
The farmers in the afternoon led a march towards Karnal mini-secretariat, where they squatted for several hours. They faced water cannons as they approached the secretariat. They breached some barricades on the way, but there was no other serious confrontation with police.
Farmer unions had warned that they will gherao the mini-secretariat if the administration did not meet their demands, centring around a now-transferred IAS officer Ayush Sinha. The officer had been caught on video purportedly telling policemen to “break heads” of the farmers if they crossed the line.
The farmers have now erected tents near the secretariat and settled in for the night. Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said the state government is not listening to the farmers. The Khattar government should agree to our demands or else arrest us. We are ready to fill Haryana jails, he tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Haryana government extended the ban on internet services in Karnal for another day from Tuesday midnight. Here’s a look at the top highlights of the protest — before and after:
— Leaders of the protest Gurnam Singh Chaduni, Rakesh Tikait and Yogendra Yadav were at the gherao site. Chaduni, who heads the Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union, said the sit-in will continue till their demands are met. Late in the evening, Karnal Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said the administration had invited the farm leaders for another round of talks.
— A day ahead of the proposed gherao, central forces were deployed and mobile internet services suspended. Karnal district authorities also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC.
— Haryana government, which had earlier ordered suspension of mobile internet services in Karnal from Monday 12.30 pm to Tuesday midnight, decided to suspend these services in four adjoining districts too — Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind and Panipat — with effect from 12 am to 11.59 pm on Tuesday.
— Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has appealed to farmers to ensure that the protest is peaceful and the common man is not affected.
— Earlier, Haryana Police had issued an advisory, asking people to avoid taking National Highway-44 (Ambala-Delhi) as farmers were supposed to take the road to reach the mini-secretariat. “Therefore, the general public using NH-44 are advised to avoid journey through Karnal town or otherwise use alternate routes to go to their destination on September 7,” it said.
— However, traffic on the NH-44 wasn’t impacted majorly with the police ensuring diversion on the stretches near the mini-secretariat. Karnal Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav had warned, “No one will be allowed to take law into one’s hand.”
(With inputs from Swati Bhan and PTI)
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