Remove blockades, free arrested farmers, Haryana protesters urge police

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, February 18

While the situation remained largely peaceful at the Khanauri-Data Singh Wala border, khap panchayat leaders and activists of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) met Superintendent of Police (SP), Jind, demanding removal of blockades other than at the Haryana-Punjab border and release of the arrested farmer activists.

The police have been conducting raids at the houses of farmer activists in various districts of Haryana, khap leaders alleged. They threatened that they would hold a mahapanchayat in Uchana town of Jind district on February 20 and could take strict measures to strengthen the ongoing agitation if the police and administration do not cooperate with them.

Azad Palwa, a farmer leader, said, “The police must stop this kind of harassment. We have been facilitating the farmers sitting at the Data Singh Wala border who are protesting peacefully in support of their demands. We want to carry on the agitation in a peaceful manner. But provocative action from the police will not be tolerated.”

He said that various barricades on the roads within the district are causing inconvenience to commuters and these should be removed by the police. He also demanded that the internet shutdown should be revoked.

Majra khap pradhan Gurvinder Singh Sandhu alleged that the police had arrested farmer activists from the border and also resorted to damaging the vehicles of the farmer leaders when they were trying to placate the agitated farmers. They were playing a supportive role for the administration. “We want the police to release the arrested farmers immediately,” he said.