Farmers Movement Archive

Karnal Administration defends cops’ ‘mild’ action on protesters

Karnal, August 29A day after the clash between farmers and the police, Karnal Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav and Superintendent of Police (SP) Ganga Ram Punia defended the police action.They said mild force was used to disperse farmers from the National Highway-44 as they had blocked it, causing inconvenience to thousands of commuters. They had also attacked the police with stones and sickles, they alleged.The police have registered two different FIRs against farmers. In the first FIR, several farmers, including 27 by name, had been booked for attacking public servant, unlawful assembly and blocking the NH-44. In the second FIR, the police have booked 14 farmers by name, including BKU president Gurnam Singh Charuni and hundreds others, for unlawful assembly and blocking NH-44 for three hours, said SP Punia.“Our duty magistrates were on the spot and they — time and again — appealed to the farmers to open the NH-44, but the farmers remained adamant. Moreover, they attacked the police personnel, forcing the authorities to use mild force to disperse them,” alleged the DC and the SP while interacting with mediapersons.The DC expressed regret for the words used by SDM Karnal Ayush Sinha while instructing the police personnel on Saturday.The video of the incident had gone viral. Yadav said some words were not appropriate, but his intention was not bad. Moreover, the SDM was seen giving directions to the cops on Railway Road on Saturday morning while the lathicharge took place in the afternoon at the Bastara toll plaza, which is 10-15 km away from the venue in the video. “Being the head of the administration, I regret the words used by the SDM. The entire video was not shown, but only a clip went viral,” he added.Meanwhile, around 40 farmers got their medico-legal report conducted till Sunday evening.Moreover, the BKU has decided to hold a meeting on Monday at the Gharaunda grain market to chalk out a strategy over the lathicharge and registration of FIRs against the farmers. “We will hold a meeting of farmers on Monday in Karnal to decide the future course of action. Our leaders, including Gurnam Singh Charuni, will chair the meeting,” said Bhadhur Singh Mehla, district IT cell president, BKU.

The Tribune

2021-08-30