Shahabad (Haryana), Sep 22 (PTI) Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesting members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) who blocked the Delhi-Chandigarh GT Road at Shahabad on Tuesday demanding that the government immediately begin paddy procurement at state-run procurement centres.
BKU (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni alleged that several protesters were detained and condemned the police action.
Generally, the paddy procurement process in the state commences from October 1. However, the procurement began on September 22 last year.
Hundreds of farmers had gathered since morning near the Shaheed Udham Singh Memorial, located close to the GT Road.
A meeting between BKU (Charuni) leader Gurnam Singh Charuni and Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena continued for around one and a half hours. However, the talks failed and the protesting farmers marched towards the GT Road, BKU (Charuni) leaders claimed.
Police erected barricades to prevent them from reaching the highway, but the protesters broke through and entered the GT Road, bringing traffic to a halt for some time.
Police first used water cannons in an attempt to disperse the protesters. When the farmers refused to move, police fired tear-gas shells.
The situation remained tense in Shahabad as the farmers continued their protest. After the police dispersed the farmers from the highway, they began a sit-in near the Shaheed Udham Singh Memorial on Barara Road.
The protesters said that the government should accept their demand and immediately begin procuring paddy.
The farmers had earlier asked the Haryana government to begin procurement of paddy from September 15.
Kurukshetra’s Superintendent of Police Chander Mohan, who visited the site, said that traffic on National Highway-44 had been restored within a few minutes after police pushed back the protesters.
Charuni alleged that police had used excessive force against the farmers. “Those who feed the country have been attacked. We are not Pakistanis,” he told reporters.
He also claimed some farmers were lathi-charged. He said water cannons were used and he had suffered an injury to his foot,
Charuni vowed that the protest would continue until the farmers’ demands were met.
After the day’s confrontation, Charuni released a video appeal urging more farmers to join the protest site in Shahabad.
The farmers had earlier warned of a road blockade if the government did not begin paddy procurement by September 15. Later, they extended this date to September 20.
At a meeting at Shahabad grain market on September 16, they urged the government to begin procurement immediately, saying that crops had already begun arriving in mandis.
Farmers had warned that they would block roads on September 22 if their demand was not met. PTI Cor SUN RT
RT
(PTI News)
