Karnal Turns Into Fortress With Drone Cameras, Barricades as Farmers Plan Mini Secretariat 'Gherao'

Karnal city has turned into a security garrison with heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces ahead of the farmer’s threat to gherao Mini Secretariat on Tuesday.

Though security has been intensified across the district, trouble points like grain market and surrounding areas have been put under a security scanner. The farmers are scheduled to assemble at grain markets before heading for the gherao. Some farmers have started arriving in batches at grain markets. Officials said that the farmers will not be stopped from assembling at grain markets but would be prevented from marching towards Mini Secretariat.

Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni has appealed to farmers to maintain peace while protesting.

Roads leading to the Mini Secretariat have been barricaded as part of security arrangements. However, traffic on the NH-44 has not been impacted majorly with the police ensuring diversion on the stretches near the Mini Secretariat.

Karnal SP Ganga Ram Punia said that all security arrangements were in place and nobody would be allowed to break law. As many as 40 companies, including 10 of the BSF, CRPF and RAF, have been deployed in different parts of the city to assist the local administration.

Also, five SP rank officials, 25 DSPs have been assigned the duty to ensure law and order. Police are also using drone cameras to keep vigil on the farmers. The district administration has already imposed Section 144 of the CrPC even as internet services have been suspended in the district.

FIR against the then SDM Karnal, Ayush Sinha, a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the family and a job to the son of Sushil Kajal, a farmer from Gharunda block who the protesters said had received injuries in the lathi charge and later died of a heart attack and a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the wounded are among the demands of the farmers.

Meanwhile, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said talks between Karnal administration and protesting farmers remained inconclusive. An 11-member committee of farmers, which was holding talks, has left for grain market to announce the next course of action.

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