Karnal admin gears up for Sept 7 farmers’ mahapanchayat

The morcha leaders have decided to hold a rally in Karnal to protest the August 28 lathicharge on farmers, forcing the administration to issue a traffic advisory for the Delhi-Chandigarh national highway.

The huge gathering of farmers at Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s Muzaffarnagar rally has increased worry for the Karnal district administration as another such rally is proposed to be held here on September 7.

Farmers representing various unions and their supporters march towards a ground during a mahapanchayat or a huge gathering in Muzaffarnagar on Sunday. (AFP)

The Morcha leaders have decided to hold a rally in Karnal to protest the August 28 lathicharge on farmers, forcing the administration to issue a traffic advisory for the Delhi-Chandigarh national highway (NH-44). “People are advised to avoid traveling on NH 44 on September 7 as the movement of traffic on this highway may remain affected due to the farmers’ mahapanchayat,” read an advisory issued by Karnal district magistrate Nishant Kumar Yadav.

The district administration also provided a list of alternative routes. The traffic will be diverted from Pipli of Kurukshetra and Pepsi Bridge in Panipat.

As per information, farmers will gather at the Karnal grain market and take out a protest march on the NH 44 before proceeding towards Karnal mini-secretariat.

The farmers’ union had demanded registration of FIRs against IAS officer Ayush Sinha and police officials involved in the lathicharge, in which around 40 farmers sustained injuries. The farmer leaders gave a week’s deadline to the Haryana government to accept their demands, including a compensation of ₹25 lakh and a government job to the next kin of a farmer Sushil Kajal, who farmers’ claimed died due to lathicharge.

As per officials from Karnal district administration, the government has not taken any decision on their demands yet.