Haryana farmers demand FIR on those involved in lathicharge; give ultimatum till Sep 6

The Haryana farmers on Monday demanded that FIRs be filed against those involved in the lathi-charge on protesting farmers, including Sub-Divisional Magistrate Ayush Sinha. The farmers have also asked for compensation for the kins of Sushil Kajal, a farmer who suffered grievous injuries and succumbed to them later. As part of the compensation, the farmers have demanded Rs 25 lakh, and a government job for one of his family members.

The farmers have given an ultimatum till September 6 for the FIRs to be filed, failing which they have warned to 'gherao' Karnal’s mini secretariat on September 7, for an indefinite period. The aforementioned points were unanimously worked upon in a Mahapanchayat at the Gharuanda grain market of Karnal, called by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Gurnam Singh Charuni. 

'Lathi-charge was not needed': BKU President 

Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Gurnam Singh Charuni having laid down the demands, once again condemned the police action, calling it 'unnecessary. "The lathi-charge took place 15 km away from the site where the Haryana Chief Minister was present. There was no way the farmers could have approached, and attacked him." Gurnam Singh Charuni also underlined that whenever a situation for lathi-charge emerges, as per protocols, the lathi is charged below the shoulders. "Here, the farmers were attacked on the head, because of which many suffered grievous injuries, and one of them even died," the BKU president added, pointing out that he was not even allowed to go to the hospital.

The BKU leader asked the leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) to take a final decision on the farmers' issue, saying that they were tired of farmer-police clashes every day.  "We need a strong decision and we will raise this issue with the Morcha leaders,” Charuni said. 

The Haryana Police had on Saturday cracked down on farmers protesting in Karnal, leaving several injured in a lathi charge at the Bastara Toll Plaza on the national highway. The farmers were protesting against a BJP meeting chaired by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on the upcoming panchayat polls when the Karnal police in order to disperse a crowd that was blocking the highway, lathi-charged.