Haryana Police on Saturday, 28 August, resorted to lathi-charging several farmers blocking National Highway-3 and the Delhi-Amritsar Highway to protest against police brutality against other farmers in Karnal.
The farmers were reportedly protesting a meeting chaired by Haryana Chief Minster Manohar Lal Khattar in Karnal. The clashes between the police forces and farmers reportedly took place near the Bastar toll plaza
According to a The Media several farmers were injured injured as the police used riot gear disperse them. One visual shared on social media shows a man holding a bandage to his head, with blood on his shirt and leg.
Police detained several people after using force in the afternoon to disperse a crowd that had blocked the highway in Karnal.
Condemning the police action, leaders of farm unions urged farmers across Haryana to protest on the roads.
Toll plazas were closed in Karnal, Panipat and Ambala following farmers’ protest.
Farmers also blocked toll plaza at Panipat on NH-44 for around one hour.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar referred the ” and said nobody should create a hurdle in the programme of anyone. “They were allowed to raise their issue in a democratic way and peacefully. If they pelted police with stones and blocked roads, the action was initiated by the police,” the CM said.
The BKU had given a call to farmers to reach Bastara toll plaza in large numbers, where they assembled.
Later, farmers blocked roads at Jalmana, Assandh and Nissing to protest against the police lathicharge at Bastara toll plaza.
There was a tense situation at Bastara toll plaza as farmers were adamant to move towards Karnal to protest against the CM’s programme.
IG Mamta Singh was present at the toll plaza.
BKU president Gurnam Singh Charuni also reached here, after which the farmers blocked national highway.
Charuni addressed the farmers and appealed them not to take law into hands, but to protest peacefully.
In Kaithal, farmers also blocked roads at Titram Mor in Kaithal and Cheeka.
Earlier, Charuni gave an ultimatum by 5pm to police to release all the detained farmers.
In Jhajjar, farmers blocked Delhi-Rohtak highway at Jakhoda bypass near Tikri border in protest against Karnal cane-charge.