Hundreds of protesting farmers waved black flags at Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and blocked his convoy as he was passing Ambala City to address a public rally on Tuesday, 22 December.
On Tuesday night, an FIR charge was filed against 13 farmers under nine sections of the IPC, including rioting, 307 (attempt to murder), and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 according to The Indian Express.
The decision to lodge a case has received public outlash, especially on Twitter with citizens trending the hashtag #KhattarYogiKisaanVirodhi, alleging that UP CM Yogi and Haryana CM Khattar are against the farmers.
‘Farmers Were Only Protesting’: BKU Ambala District President
Asking the government to withdraw the cases against the farmers, Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja told PTI that, “In a democracy, everyone has the right to free speech but when the voice of people is suppressed, they are forced to come to the streets for their rights. The voice of farmers is being continuously suppressed by the BJP government”.
Malkit Singh, the Ambala district president of Bhartiya Kisan Union told Indian Express that the farmers were only protesting, “The farmers had just gone to stage a protest not to kill anybody. Whenever any matter of farmer agitation comes, the police don’t slap charges less than of attempt to murder against us (farmers).”
Police Version of Events
The police had commented to PTI on Wednesday that the farmers were allegedly charging towards the convoy, blocked its route and some even hurled sticks. The FIR was lodged on the complaint of Gurjant Singh, a policeman, reported Indian Express.
How It All Started
Khattar was on his way to address a public rally and campaign for BJP mayoral and ward candidates in the upcoming municipal corporation elections, reported PTI.
The farmers, agitating against Centre’s new agriculture laws, were chanting slogans, demanding the legislations be repealed and raising black flags at CM Khattar on Tuesday.
(With inputs from PTI and Indian Express)
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