Karnal Kisan Mahapanchayat in Karnal today

Image Source : PTI
Karnal Kisan Mahapanchayat - What will be affected in Haryana

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer outfits protesting against the farm laws, has threatened to lay siege to the Karnal mini-secretariat today if its demands were not met. Earlier on August 28, the Haryana Police had lathicharged a group of farmers disrupting traffic movement on a national highway while heading towards Karnal to protest against a BJP meeting. The SKM said a murder case should be registered against IAS officer Ayush Sinha who was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to "break heads" of protesting farmers. Sinha, who was later transferred in a reshuffle also involving some other IAS officers, has now been posted as the additional secretary in the Citizen Resources Information Department.

Chaduni had earlier sought registration of a case against those involved in the lathicharge. He also demanded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job for the family of a farmer who died after allegedly sustaining injuries in the lathicharge. However, the administration here claimed that the farmer was not injured in the police action but had died due to a heart attack.

HERE'S A LOWDOWN

Mobile internet services will be suspended from 12:30 pm on Monday to Tuesday midnight to "stop the spread of misinformation and rumours" on social media, according to an order of the Home Department. The order suspending mobile Internet services stated that "to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order" here, mobile Internet services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), SMS services, including bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services etc, except voice calling, will remain suspended with effect from 12:30 pm on Monday till 11:59 pm on Tuesday.
Forty companies of security personnel, including 10 companies of central paramilitary forces, have been deployed in the district where local authorities have also imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC.
Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni said that they had given a deadline of September 6 to the administration to meet their demands. He said a meeting with district administration officials was held here on Monday, but after failing to get any satisfactory response about their demands they decided to hold a big panchayat on Tuesday morning before proceeding to the mini-secretariat to gherao it. "We will hold a peaceful protest, but if the administration stops us, then we will break barricades," Chaduni told reporters here, adding that farmers have no plan to block the national highway.
According to a Haryana police advisory, National Highway No 44 (Ambala-Delhi) may see some traffic disruptions in the district on Tuesday. "Therefore, the general public using NH-44 are advised to avoid journey through Karnal town or otherwise use alternate routes to go to their destination on September 7," it said.
With additional force from neighbouring districts in place, five SP-rank officers and 25 DSP-rank officers will oversee security arrangements here. Drones fitted with cameras will be mobilised as part of security measures.
No one will be allowed to take the law into one's hand, said Karnal Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav.
Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij appealed to farmers to ensure that the protest is peaceful and the common man is not affected.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh Virk said elaborate security arrangements have been made in view of the call for the gherao of mini-secretariat.
The IG Police Karnal Range and all district Superintendents of Police (Karnal Range) have been directed to take necessary preventive and precautionary measures to maintain law and order in Karnal and adjoining districts, Virk said. (With PTI inputs)