36 injured in stone-pelting during farmers rally in Rajasthan

Sriganganagar, Oct 16 (UNI) At least 36 people were injured during stone-pelting and sloganeering in the farmers' continuing protest rally in Gharsana of this district today.

The police baton-charged the farmers and used force to disperse the crowd. Several people were also arrested from different areas in this connection.

The farmers have been sitting on dharna outside the Sub-divisional Magistrate's office in Gharsana for the past one week now.

The farmers in Phase I are demanding their rightful share of water, around 58 per cent from the total available from the Indira Gandhi Canal Project and also release of arrested leaders like Hetram Beniwal and Sahebram Punia who were arrested as a precautionery measure before the rally began last Tuesday.

The farmers are rallying under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Vyapari Sangharsh Samiti and had warned of intensifying their stir from today if the government failed to comply with their demands by yesterday.

During the rally today, the farmers demanded the release of their leaders within an hour. After the government failed to accommodate their demands, the stir turned violent with stone-pelting by the farmers at the police.

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