Farmers march to Secretariat, face water cannon in Karnal
Police used a water cannon near the district Secretariat here as thousands of farmers marched towards the complex demanding action over a police lathi-charge last month.
Farmer unions had warned that protesters would lay siege to the mini-secretariat if action was not taken against officials involved in the lathi-charge in Karnal on August 28. Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav claimed that protesters -- marching to the secretariat from the venue of a mahapanchayat five kilometres away had already begun a gherao there. Farmers reached the New Anaj Mandi for a mahapanchayat in the morning, riding tractors and motorcycles. As they gathered there, an 11-member delegation was invited by the local administration to discuss their demands and dissuade them from marching towards the secretariat.
“Our talks with administration failed as they did not agree to our demands,” senior farm leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan said about three hours later. Farm union leaders then urged the large gathering at the mahapanchayat to march peacefully towards the mini-secretariat, five kilometres away. The leaders told the farmers not to enter into any confrontation with policemen, and squat in protest wherever they are stopped. Thousands of protesters walked towards the secretariat carrying farmer union flags. Earlier, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait told reporters that they had demanded the suspension of the IAS officer who was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to “break heads” of protesting farmers.