Hry CM cancels meet as protesters ransack venue
Famers protesting against Centre’s farm laws clash with state police and pro-farm laws’ group in Karnal
KARNAL Haryana farmers, protesting against the three Central farm laws, ransacked the venue of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s Kisan Mahapanchayat, in a Karnal village on Sunday and clashed with the cops and the pro-farm laws congregation, despite huge police presence.
Protesting farmers went past the barriers erected by the state police on the road to Kaimla village and arrived at the helipad where the chief minister was scheduled to land and ransacked the place.
Farmers managed to reach the venue despite being stopped some 3km away by the police.
The protestors, who easily outnumbered the police, vandalised the event venue which led to a major scuffle with the organisers of the Kisan Panchayat. According to eyewitnesses, a clash first broke out between the farmers marching towards the helipad and the police, which was trying to stop the protesters.
When the protesters reached the venue of the Kisan Panchayat, the villagers in favour of the panchayat tried to stop the protesting farmers. However, the protesters outnumbered the cops and the pro-kisan Panchayat organisers and ransacked the venue, sending cops scurrying for cover.
They damaged the stage and broke chairs, tables and flower pots at the venue. The farmers also took control over a makeshift helipad where chief minister’s helicopter was to land.
The police used tear gas in an attempt to contain the crowd.
The protesting farmers assembled around the venue while police’s attempt to control the situation with the help of the locals failed.
The chief minister was yet to reach the venue. The event was cancelled due to the unruly act by farmers. His mahapanchayat was aimed to drum up support for the three contentious agriculture laws that have triggered widespread protests in North India.
All the roads leading to the village had been blocked by the police with the help of trucks laden with construction material, parked on the roads, to avoid the entry of farmers protesting against the laws. However, it didn’t work.
Additional forces from the nearby districts had been called in and duty magistrates were appointed to monitor the law and order situation in Karnal.
The farmer union leaders, protesting against the farm laws, first gathered at Karnal’s Bastara toll plaza on national highway 44, better known as Delhi-chandigarh highway.
Jagdeep Singh Aulakh, a local leader of The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Charuni, accused the chief minister and BJP leadership of attempting to divide farmers by holding such meetings.
“What is the logic of holding such meetings in the favour of agriculture laws when the farmers’ stir at Delhi borders (against the laws) has entered its 45th day,” he questioned.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked him to support farmers amid the agitation over the new agriculture laws.
“There is still time, Modi ji, support the Annadata, leave the capitalists,” read his tweet (roughly translated from Hindi).
He also shared a video from his speech in April 2018 in Lok Sabha where he had criticised the Central government over farmers.
Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020