KARNAL: An 11-member delegation of farmer leaders was invited to hold talks with the district administration here on Tuesday as protesters in large numbers assembled for a mahapanchayat and later planned to gherao the district headquarters.
Senior leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), including Rakesh Tikait, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Yogendra Yadav and Gurnam Singh Chaduni, have arrived here for the mahapanchayat demanding action against the police lathicharge on farmers on August 28.
These senior leaders will be part of the talks with the administration and have said that they will raise various demands during the interaction. “We are talking to a delegation of farmers,” Karnal Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said.
Officials said the details of the meeting would be shared later.
Meanwhile, security arrangements have been beefed up in Karnal as the farmers plan to gherao the mini-secretariat here.
There is heavy deployment of Haryana Police as well as central forces in Karnal, while security forces in adequate strength have also been deployed at the new Anaj Mandi here where farmers are holding the mahapanchayat and plan to move towards the mini-secretariat, they said.
Officials said vehicular traffic on the Delhi-Karnal-Ambala National highway was plying normally in the morning.
Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni had earlier in the day appealed to the farmers to assemble at the Anaj Mandi in a peaceful manner.
“Next course of action will be decided at the mahapanchayat,” Chaduni had said in a video message.
However, a statement issued by Haryana Police and Karnal district administration said some people had reached the new Anaj Mandi armed with lathis and iron rods, which did not show “good intention” on their part.
“Ground intelligence reports indicate that some elements from Rambha, some from Nissing and some from other places have reached the Anaj Mandi armed with lathis, iron rods, which does not show good intention on their part,” according to the statement.
The statement said police and district administration had spoken to farmer leaders who had tried to persuade such elements to leave the venue, “but they are not listening to their leaders”.
“Karnal district administration and police warn such mischievous elements not to take the law into their hands and maintain public order. All such elements will be strictly dealt with in accordance with law,” it said.
Braving inclement weather in the morning, farmers reached the new Anaj Mandi riding tractors and motorcycles.
Senior police officials have been put on duty at the new Anaj Mandi. There is also heavy barricading and deployment of security forces at the mini-secretariat.