Protesting farmers in Karnal on Tuesday evening began to head towards the district headquarters after their leaders said talks with the local administration had failed. ANI reported that the protesting farmers hopped over barricades amid police deployment on their way to Mini Secretariat in Karnal, Haryana. 

It is reportedly said that the police have detained several leaders including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) chief Rakesh Tikait.

Earlier, farmer unions had demanded action against those officials who began to lathi-charge against protesters on August 28 in Karnal. PTI reported that they had threatened farmers to lay siege to the Karnal mini-secretariat – a threat they appeared to be carrying out. 

Also read: Watch: Police lathi charge farm protesters in Karnal, 10 injured

On Tuesday morning, the farmers reached the New Anaj Mandi for a mahapanchayat, riding tractors and motorcycles. As they gathered there, an 11-member delegation was invited by the local administration to discuss their demands and dissuade them from marching towards the secretariat.

Senior farm leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan spoke to PTI and said, “Our talks with administration failed as they did not agree to our demands.” 

Later, the farmer union leaders urged the large gathering at the mahapanchayat to march peacefully towards the mini-secretariat, five kilometres away.

Also read: Farmers protest: Haryana official asks cops to ‘pick lathis and crack heads’

Thousands of protesters were seen walking towards the secretariat carrying farmer union flags. Several barricades had been put up on the route.

Rakesh Tikait, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Darshan Pal and Yogendra Yadav were among the senior Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders who had reached Karnal for the rally, being held days after a huge mahapanchayat in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar.

Meanwhile, mobile internet services were suspended in Karnal and the four adjoining districts of Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind and Panipat until Tuesday midnight.