Situation tense: Police 'lathi-charge' protesting farmers near Karnal, 10 injured

Chandigarh: Around 10 people were injured on Saturday as police allegedly lathi-charged a group of farmers disrupting traffic movement on a highway while heading towards Karnal to protest against a BJP meeting.

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.

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.

Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni alleged that the police brutally lathi-charged the protesting farmers, leaving many injured.

While senior Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Darshan Pal said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had given a call for road and toll plaza blockade till 5 pm on 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.

Several protesters present at the site near the Bastara toll plaza around 15 km from Karnal claimed to have witnessed 8-10 people sustain injuries in the police action.

Karnal police IG Mamta Singh, however, said: "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.

Farmers protesting the Central farm laws have been opposing public functions of the BJP-JJP combine in Haryana. Several farmers had gathered at the Bastara toll plaza near Karnal, responding to a call given by the BKU.

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'.

Initially, they asked the farmers to disperse, but resorted to force as the protesters refused to budge.

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. "Many farmers were injured after police brutally lathi-charged them without any provocation. Some even could be seen with blood all over their clothes," Chaduni said, strongly condemning the police action.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala condemned the attack and dubbed the BJP-JJP regime as the 'General Dyer government'.