Haryana Police reportedly resorted to lathicharge to disperse a group of farmers who were heading towards Karnal to protest against a BJP meeting on the upcoming municipal polls chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Saturday afternoon.
The BKU had given a call to farmers to reach Bastara toll plaza in large numbers, where they assembled.
According to reports, around 10 farmers were injured in the misuse of force by the state police to disperse the agitated mob that had blocked the national highway in Karnal.
Meanwhile, angry farmers blocked multiple roads across Haryana to protest police action against other farmers in neighbouring Karnal district. The protests have affected traffic on roads in Kurukshetra, on the Delhi-Amritsar highway, and led to a jam at the Shambhu toll plaza leading to Ambala.
Videos of the state police resorting to lathi charge have gone viral on social media platforms. Visuals show police beating up farmers protesting after they tried to stop state BJP chief OP Dhankar's convoy.
In another video, a person claiming to be duty magistrate orders the Haryana police to 'break the heads' of the protestors trying to cross the line. The official then further reiterates his statements and orders the police to take action.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha - the umbrella body under which many farmer groups have united to protest the farm laws - slammed the police for their "brutal" actions and called on farmers across the state to gather for a concerted protest later today.
The farmers, in Haryana and elsewhere, have been protesting against the three farm laws for over nine months now.
Several rounds of talks have been held but no resolution is in sight, with the government unwilling to scrap the laws (one of the farmers' demands) and the farmers standing defiant.
