Farmers sit in protest at Karnal DC office enters 2nd day

Karnal, Sep 8 (IANS) Farmers protest that began from kisan mahapanchayat at Anaj Mandi on Tuesday morning in Haryana's Karnal has entered its second day in front of the mini-secretariat as more and more people from the surrounding areas continue to join the sit-in demonstration.

Talking to IANS, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said, "We will continue to stay here and as we have already put forth our demands to the district administration, now it is up to the state government officials to take a call."

The protesters have set up tents outside the DC office. Some farmers have even said that the protest in front of the district administration office will be extended if their demands are not met.

Kisan Mahapanchayat took place Tuesday morning during which an 11-member farmers' delegation went to meet Karnal Deputy Commissioner to submit a memorandum of their demands.

The demands included an FIR and strict action against SDM Ayush Sinha, who on August 28 instructed the police to beat the protesting farmers. A video-clip of Sinha ordering the force to smash the farmers' heads had stirred a row after it went viral on social media. The farmers demand compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job to the next of kin of Sushil Kajal, a farmer from Gharunda who received head injuries in the lathicharge and died later due to heart attack along with a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the wounded persons.

However, none of the protesting farmers' demands were accepted by the district officials after which they decided to gherao (surround) Karnal's mini-secretariat on Tuesday evening resulting in heavy traffic jam in the city.

The farmers have been protesting against the three farm laws passed by the Centre in the Parliament last year for over nine months now.