Angry farmers force Haryana CM to cancel kisan panchayat
Teargas, water cannons fail to deter protesters ■ Hearing today in SC
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar was forced to cancel his kisan mahapanchayat programme in Karnal on Sunday after the farmers who are protesting against the Centre’s three new agricultural reform laws uprooted tents and damaged the stage at the venue.
The police resorted to a mild lathicharge and used teargas and water cannons to stop hundreds of farmers from reaching a helipad at Kaimla village where Mr Khattar was scheduled to land.
Lashing out at Mr Khattar for using water cannons and teargas shells against the farmers, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted: “Respected Manohar Lal ji, please stop this pretence of Kisan Mahapanchayat in Kaimla village. By playing with the sentiments of those who provide us with food, please stop meddling with the law and order situation.” In another tweet, he said: “If you want to have a conversation, have it with those who have been protesting for the last 46 days.”
In a sharp change of tack, the Centre had on Friday bluntly told the unions protesting at Delhi’s borders that the new farm laws could not be repealed, and as the talks were at a stalemate, it would be best to leave it to the Supreme Court, which is due to hear the protracted dispute on Monday.
BJP-ruled Haryana had hit the headlines in November when it decided to stop the farmers on their way to Delhi from across the state as well as those in Punjab. For days, there have been reports of the police clashing with farmers, using batons, barricades, teargas and water cannons.
Following huge criticism, the Central government decided to conduct a major outreach programme to dispel “misconceptions” about the laws. But over the past week, Mr Khattar’s outreach programme had run into trouble in this area as the farmers hardened their stance in Delhi.
On Sunday, all roads leading to Kaimla village had been blocked by the police with the help of trucks laden with construction material, parked on the roads, to foil the entry of farmers protesting against the laws. That, however, did not work. Additional forces had to be called in from nearby districts and duty magistrates were appointed to monitor the law and order situation in Karnal.
Over 1,500 police personnel had been deployed on security duty for the mahapanchayat, and seven checkpoints were
set up on the way to the venue. The agitating farmers, however, managed to breach six of the checkpoints and arrived near the helipad, forcing the authorities to move the landing spot for Mr Khattar’s helicopter to a different location.
The farmers then moved to occupy the venue of Mr Khattar’s kisan mahapanchayat, where about 2,000 farmers, most of them being BJP supporters, were waiting. The protesting farmers flung chairs, tore up banners and vandalised other arrangements made for the meeting.
A clash also broke out between farmers marching towards the helipad and the police, which was trying to stop the protesters. As the protesters reached the venue, the villagers assembled for the mahapanchayat tried to stop the protesting farmers.
The protesters outnumbered the police and the pro-mahapanchayat organisers and ransacked the venue, sending policemen scurrying for cover. The police then used teargas in an attempt to contain the crowd. The protesting farmers assembled around the venue while the police’s attempt to control the situation with the help of locals failed.
The farmers’ union leaders first gathered at Karnal’s Bastara toll plaza on National Highway 44, better known as the Delhi-Chandigarh highway. Jagdeep Singh Aulakh, a local leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Charuni, accused the chief minister and the BJP leadership of attempting to divide farmers by holding such meetings. “What is the logic of holding such meetings in the favour of the agriculture laws when the farmers’ stir at Delhi’s borders (against the laws) has entered its 45th day,” he asked.
In Haryana, various senior leaders of the BJP and its JJP ally have been facing protests during their public appearances for the past many days. In one such incident, Mr Khattar’s cavalcade was also obstructed by an agitated mob of farmers in Ambala a few days ago. After the CM’s convoy was stopped, Ambala’s then SP Rajesh Kalia was shunted out of the district.
Earlier, Haryana home minister Anil Vij’s convoy had also hit a blockade as angry farmers shouted anti-government slogans. Many others, such as deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, agriculture minister J.P. Dalal, education minister Kanwar Pal and several BJP MPs have faced protests outside their residences and during their public appearances as well.
The farmers also disrupted the BJP’s programme in Barwala Saturday, that led to huge chaos. The farmers had earlier said they would not allow any BJP or JJP leader to hold public events across the state unless the three farm laws were repealed.