Police use water cannons to stop farmers led by Punjab Youth Cong from entering Haryana 

Farmers in Haryana on Sunday protested against the agriculture-related farm Bills, blocking most of the national and State highways across the State. The Bharatiya Kisan Union's Haryana unit, supported by other farmer outfits, held the Statewide protest against the Centre's farm Bills during which protesters had blocked the roads for three hours from 12 pm to 3 pm.

BKU state president Gurnam Singh Charuni led the protest in Yamunanagar and lashed out at the Central Government for allegedly betraying the farming community. A large number of farmers had blocked NH 344 also known as Ambala-Roorkee national highway near Milk Majra village of Yamunanagar district in Haryana to oppose the farm reform Bills.

In another part of the State, as farmers from Punjab led by the Youth Congress unit attempted to break the barricades on Ambala-Mohali highway near the Punjab-Haryana border, police resorted to use of force and water cannons in an attempt to disperse them. Punjab Youth Congress had planned a tractor rally from Punjab to Delhi against the Centre's farm-related measures.

In Kaithal, the farmers blocked the Ambala-Hisar highway near Titram Mor of Kaithal.  In Hisar, farmers blocked the toll plaza near Mayyar village on the National Highway. The Jind-Delhi road was blocked in Julana while in Charkhi Dadri district, Dadri Kanina road was blocked by the farmers.

During the statewide protest, the farmers shouted slogans against the Centre and demanded withdrawal of three farm bills. On September 10 also, the BKU along with some other farmer outfits had held a protest in Kurukshetra's Pipli against the bills.

Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni while talking to The Pioneer said that the protest will continue and a nationwide farmers' protest would be held now against the bills passed in the Parliament. We will hold discussions with farmers' associations across the country to devise a strategy for a nationwide protest, he said.

Condemning the Central Government, Gurnam Singh said the BJP has betrayed the farmers. Two farm bills were passed in an unconstitutional way in the Rajya Sabha. These bills have been opposed by the opposition parties also. The bills are anti-farmer as the agriculture sector will be left to the fate of corporate interests, he alleged.

Earlier, the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had on Saturday appealed for deferring the stir and invited the farmers for talks.  He had asserted that the farm reforms were in the interest of farmers and claimed opposition was misleading them.

Notably, elaborate security arrangements were made across Haryana in view of the famers' protest and executive magistrates remained stationed along with their police counterparts at all such places where congregation of protestors were anticipated. Haryana Police had conducted patrolling of the national and state highways and important roads in various parts of the state, including Ambala, Kurukshetra, Sonipat, Jind, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar and Bhiwani.

The Rajya Sabha had on Sunday passed two contentious farm bills by voice vote as the House witnessed chaotic scenes. The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, was passed by the upper House.

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, part of the broader farm liberalisation plan, could not be taken up and the House was adjourned for the day.