Haryana Farmers block highways to protest alleged lathi-charge in Haryana
Amritsar/IBNS: Farmers blocked multiple roads across Haryana on Saturday to protest against an alleged lathi-charge on fellow farmers while they were demonstrating during a meeting led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Karnal district, according to media reports.
Khattar was holding a meeting to discuss a forthcoming municipal election when the farmers held protest demonstrations, according to media reports.
Later in the day, farmers were allegedly baton-charged in Amritsar where they were agitating against Prime Minister Modi's virtual inauguration of a renovated Jallianwala Bagh memorial.
Farmer unions are opposing virtual inauguration of renovated Jallianwala Bagh memorial by PM @narendramodi in Amritsar. There was minor clash. Police has blocked the road to Jallianwala Bagh on the day memorial will be opened for Public.@iepunjab @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/UUQeSQTBlH
— Kamaldeep Singh ਬਰਾੜ (@kamalsinghbrar) August 28, 2021
The protests affected traffic on Delhi-Amritsar, the Panchkula-Shimla, Fatehabad-Chandigarh, Gohana-Panipat, Jind-Patiala, Ambala-Chandigarh and Hisar-Chandigarh highways, and led to a jam at the Shambhu toll plaza leading to Ambala.
The farmers sat on Charpais on roads in large numbers to protest against the alleged 'brutal' police action, causing traffic jams for nearly 3 km. Long trails of vehicles, including trucks, buses and cars, were seen, keeping people blocked on the jammed roads for hours.
Farmers block national highway in kurukshetra pic.twitter.com/m70qe7uFJG
— Mohammad Ghazali (@ghazalimohammad) August 28, 2021
Media reports said farmers tried to stop the convoy of state BJP chief OP Dhankar, who was going to attend a state-level meet of BJP leaders and elected reps in Karnal.
According to NDTV, the farmers hit the vehicle with sticks as soon as the convoy left Bastar toll plaza. They even tried to reach the meeting which was being held some 30 km away, according to media reports.
Reports in the media said at least 10 people were injured.
Police have said only mild force was used to control the farmers as they were affecting the traffic.
According to NDTV, Samyukta Kisan Morcha - the umbrella organisation of farmers' unions protesting the new farm laws - slammed the police for their "brutal" actions.
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