Farmer leaders going for 'Mahila Maha Panchayat' in Delhi detained in Haryana; later released

Several farmer leaders in Haryana were detained briefly when they tried to proceed towards Delhi with their supporters for a 'Mahila Maha Panchayat' in support of the wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) claimed on Sunday.

Security was heightened at Haryana's borders with Punjab and Delhi, and barricades were put up at many places.

Farmers, mostly women, tried to move in groups towards the national capital. Some farmers from Punjab also tried to join their Haryana counterparts in moving towards Delhi.

Also Read | 'Prevented' from attending 'Maha Panchayat' in support of wrestlers, claims section of JNU students

In Haryana, many farmer leaders were detained inside their homes early on Sunday for a few hours. The police also stopped hundreds of farmers at the Haryana-Punjab border near Ambala City in the morning. In Kurukshetra, BKU (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni was detained under relevant provisions of the law, a police official said.

The outfit claimed some other farmer leaders were detained in different parts of Haryana to prevent them from reaching Delhi. However, by late afternoon, most of those detained were released, Charuni told reporters later in the day.

At the time he was being detained by the police from his home at around 4:45 am, Charuni, in a video message, appealed to the farmers to maintain peace and not to block the roads.

Watch | Farmers stopped in Ambala as they call to join wrestlers’ Mahapanchayat in Delhi

Referring to the detentions, Charuni said, "The arrests are being made to fail today's 'maha panchayat' scheduled in Delhi."

"I was arrested at 4:45 am. It is unfortunate that those who are seeking justice in the case are being arrested whereas no action is being taken against whom the allegations stand," Charuni said later in the day.

The wrestlers, who have been sitting in protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, are demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Singh who, they alleged, sexually harassed several women grapplers.

Several Opposition parties, including the Congress, have extended their support to the protesting wrestlers.

A large number of police personnel were deployed in Sonipat, Jhajjar, Jind, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Sirsa and Gurugram districts and all vehicles entering Haryana were thoroughly checked, officials said.

The police rounded up some farmers on the GT Road near Gurudwara Manji Sahib in Ambala when they insisted on marching towards Delhi. Sukhwinder Singh, a spokesperson for BKU (Charuni), alleged that the police detained some farmers late on Saturday night.

Around 200 farmers, including women, were camping at Gurudwara Manji Sahib in Ambala since Saturday night. A heavy deployment of police was made outside the gurudwara road.

Superintendent of Police (Ambala) Jashandeep Singh said no permission was given to hold the 'Mahila Maha Panchayat' in Delhi. The officer reached the gurudwara and asked the farmers not to take the law in their hands and disperse.

In the evening, Charuni reached in Gurudwara Manji Sahib and met some of the BKU workers who were present there.

Talking to mediapersons, he criticised the Haryana government and said the police have forcibly stopped the farmers when they tried to march towards Delhi.

Thousands of police personnel were deployed and multiple layers of barricades put in place in the Lutyens' Delhi area on Sunday as part of the security arrangement for the inauguration of the new Parliament building and the 'Mahila Maha Panchayat'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building on Sunday morning.

Police personnel put up barricades at border points and were checking vehicles entering the national capital.

In Hisar, the farmers freed the Chaudhariwas toll to protest against the detention of several farmers by the police, who were going to Delhi to participate in Mahila Mahapanchayat.

Kisan Morcha spokesperson Shraddhanand Rajali said that earlier, to prevent them from going to Delhi, some farmer leaders were detained in their houses itself and some were not allowed to come out of their homes by the police in the morning. He said many other farmers were detained when they were trying to move towards the national capital.

The Delhi Police on Sunday detained Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia for violation of law and order after they breached the security cordon while trying to move towards the new Parliament building for the planned 'Maha Panchayat'.

Immediately after the wrestlers were pushed into buses and taken away, the police began clearing the protest site by removing the cots, mattresses, coolers, fans and the tarpaulin covers along with other belongings of the wrestlers.

The protesting wrestlers and their supporters have been taken to different locations in the national capital. While Bajrang Punia has been detained at a police station near Mayur Vihar, Sakshi Malik is in Burari. Vinesh Phogat and her cousin Sangeeta Phogat were taken to Kalkaji.