Clashes between farmers and police in Haryana's Hisar leads to tear gas shell firing, police official injured

A police officer was injured Friday in a pitched battle between protesting farmers and cops in Khedi Chwpata in Haryana's Hisar.  The violence - in which tear gas shells were fired and police resorted to a lathi charge, while protesters threw stones - broke after the farmers were stopped from marching to Khanauri on the Punjab border.  

A police personnel was injured during a clash between protesting farmers and law enforcement in Haryana’s Hisar district on Friday. The confrontation took place in Kheri Chopta village, where reports depicted a scene of chaos.

Stone-throwing protests broke out after farmers were stopped from moving into Khanauri on the Punjab border, prompting the use of tear gas shells and lathi charges by the police, according to news agency PTI. 

This comes in the wake of a demand for a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and calls for waivers on farm loans, pensions, and the reversal of increased electricity rates, among other requests. For the past several days, farmers have been camped near the Punjab border at the request of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political).

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) burned effigies of BJP politicians and marked a "black day" today to express their disapproval of the Haryana Police's handling of protesting farmers who were camped out at two of the state's border posts.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore and a government job to Shubhkaran’s sister. "The Punjab government will provide financial assistance of Rs 1 crore to the family of Shubhkaran Singh, who was martyred during the farmer's movement on the Khanauri border, and his younger sister will be given a government job." Mann posted in Punjabi.

The government has held four rounds of talks with the farmers, who are led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (the non-political unit of the union that spearheaded the 2020/21 protests) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. Both sides are expected to sit for a fifth round of talks shortly.