Clashes break out as farmers march towards residences of Haryana MPs, MLAs
Paramilitary forces have been deployed outside Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s residence in Karnal. Roads leading to his house have been barricaded by the police
Heavy security has been deployed outside the homes of MPs and MLAs across Haryana as farmers backed by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) started marching towards their residences to protest against the Centre’s decision to delay paddy procurement in the state and in Punjab till October 11.
Confrontations between protesters and authorities are taking place at several places as farmers attempt to break police barricades to reach the residences of their representatives.
Paramilitary forces have been deployed outside Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s residence in Karnal. Roads leading to his house have been barricaded by the police.
“Around 5,000-6,000 farmers will reach Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s residence in Karnal since he too represents an assembly constituency. Similar protests will be held across all constituencies of Haryana. We will park our tractors and trolleys filled with paddy crops outside the residences of MLAs and MPs,” Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Haryana leader Jagdeep Singh Aulakh said earlier on Saturday.
Also read: Understanding the new farm laws and farmer protests in India
The SKM on Friday had given a call for holding protests outside the residences of legislators in Punjab and Haryana. The Centre on Thursday postponed procurement of kharif paddy in both states till October 11 as the crop maturity is delayed and moisture content in fresh arrival is beyond permissible limits owing to recent heavy rains.
The procurement operation is undertaken by the central government’s nodal agency, the Food Corporation of India, along with state agencies.
Paddy procurement usually starts on October 1.
Meanwhile, Haryana minister Anil Vij on Saturday said the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s new farm laws is “getting violent day by day”.
“Violent movement in the country of Mahatma Gandhi cannot be allowed,” Vij said in a tweet.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the Centre to start purchase of paddy crop. “The farmers of Punjab are upset, the central government has postponed the purchase of paddy for 10 days, farmer is standing outside the mandis carrying lakhs of quintals of paddy on his tractor,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.
