Protesting farmers show black flags to BJP MP in Haryana

Kurukshetra, Apr 18: Farmers staged a protest and showed black flags to BJP MP Nayab Singh Saini in Haryana's Kurukshetra when he came to participate in an event on Sunday. The protesters raised slogans against the Haryana government and Saini, and showed black flags to him on his arrival at the event.

Earlier, the farmers, who have been protesting against the Centre's new farm laws, assembled at the Theme Park situated near the Saini Bhawan, where police officers tried to persuade them not to stage a demonstration.

Subsequently, they marched towards the venue. A large number of police personnel swung into action and detained many of the protesters.

Before being detained, farmer leader Jasbir Singh Manumajra accused the state government of curbing the right of people to hold a peaceful demonstration.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravinder Tomar, who was on duty at the site, said the police acted when the farmers violated the condition of staging a peaceful demonstration at the assigned place and broke down the police barricades in a bid to enter the venue of the function.

He said 70 protesting farmers were detained for a brief period.

About two weeks ago, a group of protesting farmers had blocked Saini's car and smashed its windscreen as he was leaving a BJP worker's home at Shahabad Markanda, about 20 km from here.

Farmer leaders have said they would continue with their "peaceful social boycott" of the leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies.

The Centre says the new laws will free farmers from middlemen, giving them more options to sell their crops.

The protesting farmers, however, say the laws will weaken the minimum support price (MSP) system and leave them at the mercy of big corporates.