Several farmers and policemen were injured on Friday after the police resorted to lathicharge to disperse a group of farm activists who were protesting at Kheri Chopta in Narnaund subdivivision of Hisar district.The farm activists led by khap panchayats and farmers organisations had given a call for Khanauri march on Friday.
According to sources, a scuffle ensued between the police and protesting farmers after some cops started snatching the keys of tractors. Several farmers and policemen suffered injuries in the violent clash that continued for about two hours. Vehicles of farmers and police were also damaged in the clash.
Reportedly, protesters threw stones at police personnel after they were stopped from marching to Khanauri on the Punjab border. The farmers had been sitting on a dharna at Khedi Chopta for the past five days in support of those protesting on the Punjab-Haryana border. They were planning to join the protesting farmers on the border.
Police used water cannons too to disperse hundreds gathered to protest in the area. Meanwhile, a 62-year-old farmer taking part in the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march died of heart attack in Khanauri along the border. The deceased was identified as Darshan Singh, a native of Amargarh village in Bathinda district.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading a farmers’ agitation at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points of Punjab and Haryana over various of their demands, including a law on MSP.
On Wednesday, a 21-year-old Shubhkaran, a native of Bathinda, was killed in clashes between Haryana Police and farmers. In the wake of his death, the march was put on hold for two days. The farmers observed ‘Black Day’ on Friday and burnt effigies of BJP leaders.
Besides a new law on MSP, the Punjab farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
