Farmers hold protests across Punjab, Haryana over delay in purchasing paddy

Chandigarh: Farmers in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday held protests at many places against postponing paddy procurement. Thousands of farmers - shouting slogans and waving flags in protest against the controversial farm laws - gathered outside Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar's Karnal residence on Saturday morning and announced their intention to mount an overnight vigil, reports NDTV

Visuals from the area show the farmers standing on top of a pile of yellow police barricades and shouting angrily, while a handful of security forces in riot gear look on.

The farmers were briefly doused with water cannons by police - with whom anti-farm law protesters have clashed several times this week alone - and who have been deployed in large numbers, with tear gas vehicles, at the spot.

Visuals of water cannons being used show a powerful jet of water fired at protestors, some of whom try to get up on their vehicles to escape.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Friday had given a call for holding protests outside the residences of legislators in both states to register their protest over the delay in purchasing paddy crops.

The Centre on Thursday postponed procurement of Kharif paddy in Punjab and Haryana till October 11 as the crop maturity is delayed and moisture content in fresh arrival is beyond permissible limits owing to recent heavy rains.

The procurement operation is undertaken by the central government's nodal agency Food Corporation of India (FCI) along with state agencies. Paddy procurement usually commences from October 1.

Meanwhile, In a Tweet, Haryana minister Anil Vij on Saturday said the farmers' agitation against the Centre's new laws is getting violent day by day.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the Centre to start the purchase of paddy crops.

"The farmers of Punjab are upset, the central government has postponed the purchase of paddy for 10 days, farmers are standing outside the mandis carrying lakhs of quintals of paddy on his tractor", said Kejriwal in a tweet.

In Punjab, farmers gathered outside the residences of several Congress legislators, including Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana K P Singh in Rupnagar and MLA Harjot Kamal in Moga and staged protests over delay in the purchase of paddy crop.

Police personnel were deployed in strength to maintain law and order, said officials.

Farmers expressed apprehension that they would suffer if their crop is not purchased at the grain markets.

Paddy crop, though in small quantity, has started arriving in mandis especially in border areas of Punjab, said farmers. They questioned where the farmers, who have brought their crop at mandis, will go if their product is not purchased.

Some fear that they would be forced to sell their crop below the minimum support price (MSP) to private traders.

In Haryana's Ambala, police put up barricades to prevent farmers from laying siege to the residence of BJP legislator Aseem Goel. A fire fighting vehicle and a water cannon vehicle were also deployed outside the residence of the MLA.

Tight security arrangement has been made outside the residence of Minister Vij at Ambala Cantonment, said official

Farmers are also protesting in grain markets in parts of the state, and outside the residences of MLAs from the ruling BJP-Jannayak Janata Party alliance in several districts.

Also yesterday, farmers and police in the state clashed yet again as protesters marched against an event attended by Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala in Jhajjar.

Mr Chautala was shown black flags when he reached the protest venue. That was the second consecutive day Haryana witnessed farmer-police clashes.

On Thursday chaos broke out in Karnal during an event organised by the ruling BJP.

Massive protests had erupted in Karnal last month too after police lathi-charged farmers trying to block a BJP leader from reaching a party event. Ten people were injured in the clash.