350 Haryana farmers held, Delhi gherao foiled

Saturday 24th February 2018 05:33 EST
 
 

CHANDIGARH: In a crackdown on agitating farmers, police arrested over 200 farmers who were on their way to Delhi on call of the Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh. Overall, 367 farmers have been arrested. Union president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Gurnam Singh Charuni described the action as “Hitlershahi”, alleging that several farmers had been injured in the lathicharge by the police in Radaur.

He claimed, “More than 500 farmers have been arrested, many of them on the serious charge of attempt to murder. If farmers are not released and the cases against them are not withdrawn by February 26, farmers' outfits will announce a mega agitation in a mahapanchayat at Kheri Chopta that day.” Inspector General of Police Mamta Singh confirmed the arrests in the past two days, adding that 43 others had been arrested under the IPC. Thirty five of the them have been arrested in connection with a clash with the police in Radaur.

She said, “The maximum preventive arrests have been made in Kurukshetra. There, 113 farmers have been taken into custody. In all, 80 farmers have been arrested in Jind, 33 in Karnal and 25 in Kaithal.” She said the situation in the state was peaceful and no national highways leading to Delhi was blocked. Sonepat Deputy Commissioner KM Pandurang confirmed eight arrests in his districts, stating that traffic to Delhi from Kundli border was smooth. “Farmers tried to block inner roads when they were stopped from going to a national highway leading to Delhi,” he said.


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