The farmers who gheraoed the mini secretariat in Karnal district today continued to sit in front of the building today till late night. The Haryana government updating on the situation said, "DC Nishant Kumar Yadav, IG Mamta Singh and SP Gangaram Punia and other senior officers are still holding talks with the protesters so that some positive solutions can be found."
A large numbers of farmers squatted at the gates of the district headquarters, locked in a showdown with Haryana's BJP-led government over a police lathi-charge last month.
After reaching the secretariat, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said, "We have captured the gate, want to take some rest, no time for talks, it can happen later."
The gherao began in the evening, several hours after farmers from Haryana and neighbouring states reached Karnal's New Anaj Mandi for a mahapanchayat, riding tractors and motorcycles.
The protesters are demanding action over a police lathi-charge in Karnal on August 28.
Farmer unions had warned that they will gherao the mini-secretariat if the administration did not meet their demands, centring around a now-transferred IAS officer who was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to "break heads" if the protesters crossed the line.
As the mahapanchayat began on Tuesday morning, the local administration invited 11 farm leaders for talks. Three hours later, they leaders announced that the administration had not agreed to their demands - and thousands of farmers headed on foot towards the secretariat.
Farm leaders told them not get into any confrontation with the police. They were asked to squat on the road wherever they were stopped.
During their talks with the administration on Tuesday, Yadav said, the farm leaders insisted only on the suspension of the IAS officer and no other demand was raised.
About 10 protesters were hurt in the clash with police in Karnal on August 28, as they tried to march towards the venue of a BJP meeting. Their leaders also claimed that a farmer died later, an allegation rejected by the administration.
Mobile internet services were suspended in Karnal and the four adjoining districts of Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind and Panipat until Tuesday midnight. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC banning gathering of people were imposed in Karnal district.
Traffic on the Delhi-Karnal-Ambala National highway was not disrupted while the panchayat continued, officials said.
