Traffic disrupted on GT for over two hours
Internet services remain suspended till Tuesday midnight
Farmers begin dharna at mini-secretariat
Rajesh Moudgil
Chandigarh
The farmers’ mahapanchayat and their subsequent protest at mini-secretariat in Karnal district of Haryana seems to have got into its next level after a day-long tension till late Tuesday night.
Farmers had begun to reach Karnal’s grain market since wee hours of the day where their mahapanchayat led by their leaders including Rakesh Tikait, Gurnam Singh Charuni and Yogendra Yadav decided to gherao the district mini secretariat in the afternoon. The police had to briefly use water cannon to stop the farmers who sought to enter the mini-secretariat premises, but to no avail.
The farmers who had reached close to the mini-secretariat premises did not stop and decided to continue their indefinite sit-in (dharna) till their demands were met with till going to time of filing this report.
Farmers demand action against official
They demanded action against Ayush Sinha (then an SDM) who was recently seen and heard in the video asking a police team to “smash the heads’’ of the protesting farmers in Karnal on August 28, last, compensation for the family of a deceased protester, a government job for kin of the deceased besides action against the cops who lathi-charged the farmers.
The district administration called the farmers leaders for the dialogue on their demands though the talks fell through. Karnal deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, however, said senior officers were still holding talks with the protesters.
Earlier in the day, a heavy police bandobast could be seen at various points of Karnal in the wake of the farmer fora’s call for the said mahapanchayat as well as gherao of the mini secretariat.
The farmers who had reached the Karnal’s grain market in their vehicles marched on foot for over four kilometres to reach the mini-secretariat crossing the police barricading and vehicles placed at some points on the way to the mini-secretariat.
Leaders held, let off
The atmosphere got tense briefly after the police detained farmers leaders including Rakesh Tikait, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Yogendra Yadav, though released them after a few minutes reportedly sensing trouble because of the detention.
Disruption on GT road for 2 hours
Even though there was no disruption on the GT road during the day-time, hundreds of motorists went through harrowing times towards evening because of the disruption caused by the chaos. However, the police had effected diversions on the national highway No 44 (Ambala-Delhi) – also called GT road which was used for the people going t Delhi or returning from there.
Internet services suspended
The state government had also suspended the mobile internet services in district Karnal with effect from September 6, 2021 from Monday midnight to Tuesday midnight (September 7) to maintain law and order situation in district Karnal as well as other adjoining districts in the wake of the farmers’ stir.
