Farmers protest Haryana CM Khattar’s visit, clash with cops

Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, April 3

Two elderly farmers and a policeman were injured in a clash between protesting farmers and police personnel deployed near Baba Mastnath Math on the outskirts of the city here ahead of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s visit this afternoon.

Roads blocked in jind

Villagers blocked roads at various points in Jind district to protest the police action on farmers in Rohtak.

The Chief Minister was slated to visit Rohtak to attend a condolence meeting of local BJP MP Arvind Sharma’s father and his helicopter was supposed to land at the helipad on the math premises.

BJP MP puts off visit

Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal was forced to cancel visit to Fatehabad as farmers carrying black flags assembled at BJP office.

However, the helicopter landed at the local Police Lines instead of the math in view of the farmers’ aggressive protest. Khattar was taken to the condolence meeting via a different route amid tight security.

A number of farmers carrying black flags marched towards the math shortly before the scheduled landing of Khattar’s chopper and the police personnel deployed there tried to stop them.

Some youths among the protesters threw stones at the police personnel, which triggered the clash.

A number of women protesters also participated in the protest.

Rohtak SP Rahul Sharma denied any lathicharge or use of force by the police, maintaining the policeman and the farmers were injured in “stone-pelting by the protesters”.

On the other hand, the injured farmers, Raj Singh (73) of Sanghi village and Ishwar (80) of Basantpur village in Rohtak district, alleged before the media that they were injured in police lathicharge. The farmers also alleged that several protesters had been rounded up.

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