Kurukshetra: Farmers block highway to Delhi as protest over MSP escalates; check details
Today's protest has come after farmers alleged that police used lathis and water canons in protest to disperse the crowd, an action that the police said was taken following the Punjab and Haryana High Court directive on Tuesday asking to clear the highway for the free flow of traffic.
![Kurukshetra Farmers block highway to Delhi as protest over MSP escalates; check details AJR Kurukshetra Farmers block highway to Delhi as protest over MSP escalates; check details AJR](https://static-gi.asianetnews.com/images/01h1vadwr1ayhzmbefeafpe7hb/collage-maker-01-jun-2023-04-38-pm-7038_363x203xt.jpg)
The Kisan Mahapanchayat on Monday (June 12) announced a complete blockage of the national highway, days after the lathi charge and alleged use of force to scatter protesting farmers off NH-44 in Kurukshetra.
It is reportedly said that the farmers have already left for a huge protest at National Highway 44 and are gathering on streets in large numbers for the Kisan Mahapanchayat. Visuals that surfaced on social media showed that farmers and their supporters from Punjab and Haryana coming out on streets in large numbers on their tractors.
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The call for protest comes after farmers alleged that police used lathis and water canons in protest to disperse the crowd, an action that the police said was taken following the Punjab and Haryana High Court directive on Tuesday asking to clear the highway for the free flow of traffic.
While the police justified their crackdown by citing the court order, the court specifically stated that the administration should exercise maximum restraint and resort to the use of force only as a last resort to disperse the gathered "mob".
Last week, for over six hours, the farmers blocked the crucial Delhi-Chandigarh national highway in front of the Shaheed Udham Singh memorial over demands for government procurement of sunflower seeds at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
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Meanwhile, ace wrestler Bajrang Punia, who is also protesting against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh, who is accused of sexual harassment was also present at the maha panchayat and extended support to the farmer.
Speaking to reporters, Punia said, "We have come here to support the farmers. Even we come from farming families. We will stand with the farmers who are standing on the roads. We have supported farmers even during the farmers' protest and we will keep supporting them."
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