Form of words:
Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has defended police action against farmers protesting in Karnal, saying peaceful protest was assured but police were pelted with stones and a highway was blocked.
At least 10 people were injured after police on Saturday allegedly lathi-charged a group of farmers who blocked traffic on a national highway going towards Karnal in protest against a BJP meeting.
Speaking to reporters in Karnal on Saturday evening after the meeting, Khattar said the protesting farmers had earlier assured the government that their protest would be peaceful.
If they had to protest, they should have done it peacefully, no one would have any objection to that. He had earlier assured that he would hold a peaceful protest. But if they pelt stones at police, block highways, then police will take steps to maintain law and order, Khattar said.
Referring to the BJP meeting in Karnal, Khattar said that it was a state-level meeting of the party and I condemn the call given by them (farmer organisations) to oppose it.
“It is undemocratic in itself to obstruct the work of any organization for any reason,” he said.
Haryana’s Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh Virk had earlier said that only four protesters were injured in the incident, while ten policemen were injured.
He said some protesters pelted stones at the police and tried to attack them.
Karnal Police IG Mamta Singh had said, “We used mild force as they were blocking the highway. Stones were also pelted at the police. Mild force was used to disperse the protesters.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday met some injured protesters at a hospital in Karnal and condemned the brutal lathi-charge by the police.
Tikait said the conspiracy to attack farmers in Karnal is clear from the orders of the duty magistrate, who is ordering the police to break the heads of the farmers and beat them with sticks.
Tikait said that the government is using lathis to suppress the voice of farmers, but it is wrong.
Haryana BKU (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni said a meeting of farmers’ organizations would be held in Karnal on Monday to discuss the future course of action in the wake of the alleged lathi-charge.
To protest the lathi-charge incident, he said the road blockade call was given by Saturday evening and the way forward would be decided on Monday.
Farmers opposing central agriculture laws have been opposing public programs of BJP-JJP alliance in Haryana. On the call of BKU, many farmers had gathered at Bastar toll plaza near Karnal.
The use of force by the police was strongly criticized by the opposition parties.
Read also: ‘Modi, Shah, Khattar hold rallies, meetings but we can’t work?’ Haryana villages boycott lockdown
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