Haryana: Punia joins farmers’ protest at Shambhu; Charuni likely to follow suit

Wrestler and Olympian Bajrang Punia reached the protest site at the Shambhu border on Saturday after stopping at Panipat, Karnal, and Kurukshetra, where several of his supporters and farmers joined him.

Punia, who is also the working president of All India Kisan Congress, sat along the farmers near the main stage at Shambhu and condemned authorities for not allowing the group of farmers to march towards the national capital.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Sir Chotu Ram) spokesperson Bahadur Mehla, who accompanied Punia to Shambhu from Karnal, said the Union government must accept their demand for the legal guarantee on MSP and take immediate steps in view of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s health.

Similarly, Haryana farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni, who has been away from the protests since February, decided to meet the ailing farmer leader at Khanouri border with his union members on Sunday.

Charuni, who is the president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni), said his union members from Haryana and Punjab will reach the site, where it will be decided how all unions can be united under SKM for future course of action.

Mobile internet, bulk SMS services suspended in 12 Ambala villages

Hours before the resumption of the farmers’ protest march to Delhi from the Shambhu border, the Haryana government on Saturday ordered the suspension of data internet services in 12 villages of Ambala along the Shambhu border.

As per the home department order, the internet services will remain suspended in Dangdehri, Lohgarh, Manakpur, Dadiana, Bari Ghel, Choti Ghel Lharsa, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar, Sadopur, Sultanpur and Kakru villages of Ambala district till December 17.

Meanwhile, Ambala SP Surender Singh Bhoria denied farmers’ allegations of using chemical-mixed water in water cannons and expired tear gas shells.

“As the ‘jatha’ approached the barricades, we had a detailed conversation for nearly 45 minutes and as the talks were on, some of them tried to pull grills. The allegations of using chemical-mixed water are baseless, I assure you that only plain water was used by water cannons to disburse the crowd and we only used the right tear gas shells. We have made repeated appeals to not take the law into their hands and take permission from Delhi administration to protest,” he added.