Police, farmers clash on Jind border; 10 cops injured

Deepender Deswal

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Jind, February 13

A violent clash took place between the police and the protesting farmers, resulting in injuries to cops and farmers at the Khanauri-Data Singh Wala border in Narwana subdivision of Jind district today evening when the farmers tried to breach the barricades put up by the police.

Jind Superintendent of Police Sumit Kumar said about 10 police personnel had suffered injuries as some youths attacked the force at the border. He said the situation was under control now. He urged the protesters not to believe in rumours and keep calm. However, it could not be confirmed whether any farmer activists had also suffered injuries.

According to information, the situation became tense when the farmers in tractors arrived at the border at around noon. A group of farmers from Haryana too reached the Data Singh Wala and started raising slogans against the government and in support of their demands on the road, just a few metres away from the police.

The sources said a group of youths from Punjab tried to get close to the barricades in an attempt to breach them. As the police lobbed teargas shells, there was pelting of stones from the other side. The police then opened the water cannon and resorted to lathicharge. The police also lathicharged Haryana farmers and dispersed them.

Talking to The Tribune, the SP said the situation had been brought under control. He said additional police and paramilitary forces had been deployed at the borders.

The farmer activists in Haryana claimed that the police had resorted to lathicharge without any provocation. “The state authorities are resorting to barbaric methods to muzzle the voice of farmers who want to raise their demands in a democratic and peaceful way,” said a farmer activist. He said around 10 farmers had suffered injuries. The situation turned violent when the cops tried to remove the farmers from the spot where they had been sitting on a dharna. The activist said about 10-15 farmers in Punjab too had suffered injuries in the police action.

Sarv Khap convener and Kandela Khap representative Tekram Kandela said the khap would intervene in the prevailing stalemate if the situation remained tense on the Data Singh Wala border between the farmers and the police. “It is unfortunate that the situation had taken a violent turn on the border. The khap panchayats stand by the farmers as they have been taking up the justified demands with the government,” he said.