Karnal lathicharge: Punjab and Haryana High Court seeks reply from Haryana

Taking serious note of lathicharge on farmers in Karnal on August 28, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has served a notice on the Haryana Government and asked the Haryana Advocate General to file a reply on the matter. On August 28, several farmers were injured after the police reportedly resorted to lathicharge to disperse a group of farmers, who were heading towards Karnal to protest against a BJP meeting. Also read | Telegram launches live stream feature with unlimited viewers in its latest update They were opposing the state-level meeting of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and BJP state president OP Dhankhar. Farmers blocked National Highway-44 near the Bastara toll plaza amid deployment of heavy police force. Later, they blocked all major highways in Haryana, bringing vehicular movement to a halt, to seek the release of the farmers detained by the police. Later, on August 29, expressing solidarity, farmers blocked roads and highways in Punjab for two hours in protest against the lathicharge on farmers in Haryana. Owing allegiance to various farmer bodies, the protesters burnt the effigies of the BJP-led government in Haryana for using force on farmers in Karnal. Also read | Coronavirus update: Punjab vaccination centres reserve Sundays for second dose of vaccine On September 1, giving in to pressure from the Opposition and farmers’ unions for action against Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha, the Haryana Government issued his transfer orders. A video purportedly showing him directing cops to "crack the heads” of anybody trying to cross the barricades during a protest by farmers on August 28 had gone viral. -PTC News