Stopped on way to protest CM’s event, farmers clash with cops

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, May 16

Forty farmers, including women, and 20 police personnel were injured in a clash in Hisar today. Farmers hurled stones at police personnel who resorted to lathicharge and use of teargas shells to disperse them.

The incident occurred when the farmers tried to proceed towards Hisar from Ramayan toll plaza to stage a protest against the visit of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for the inauguration of a Covid hospital at Om Prakash Jindal Modern School here.

Initially, the police managed to stop the farmers on the outskirts of the town. However, the farmers broke the barricades and tried to head towards the venue of the CM’s programme.

The police then tried to disperse the farmers and a clash ensued. The farmers hurled stones at police personnel who resorted to the use of teargas shells and lathicharge. By the time the protesters reached the venue of the CM’s programme, he had already left.

A police spokesperson said around 20 police personnel, including five women cops, were injured in the incident. Five police vehicles were damaged in stone pelting by the farmers. DSP Abhimanyu Lohan was manhandled by the protesters, but he managed to escape unhurt, he said.

Police sources claimed the protesters tried to run over policemen with a tractor near Chaudhary Devi Lal Sanjivani Hospital complex set up at Jindal Modern School, injuring some policemen. Many protesters were drunk, they claimed.

Later, BKU leaders Rakesh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Charuni also reached Hisar. They gave a call to block highways for two hours today and threatened to gherao police stations across the state tomorrow. The farmers also started a dharna outside the Inspector General of Police residence here.

Subsequently, IGP Rakesh Kumar Arya held a meeting with a delegation of the farmers. After the meeting, Tikait told mediapersons that the administration had agreed to release all 85 activists detained by the police and not to register any case in connection with the incident.

Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Soni also confirmed that the standoff between the police and farmers had been resolved.

Putting the blame for the incident on the state government, Charuni said the CM should not hold such functions in Covid times.