 "Centre, Haryana govts conspiring to crush farmers' protest: Congress")
The BJP governments at the Centre and in Haryana are "conspiring" to crush the farmers' agitation, the Congress alleged Monday, demanding authorities restore mobile Internet services in Karnal and withdraw section 144, allowing the farmers to protest there peacefully.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal in a statement criticised the Haryana government for imposing prohibitory orders and for snapping Internet services in Karnal in order to stop farmers from protesting against "murderous attacks on them".
Central forces were deployed, mobile Internet services suspended and prohibitory orders banning gathering of people were imposed in Karnal Monday, a day ahead of a gherao planned by farmers at the mini-secretariat over the August 28 lathicharge on them.
The Haryana government ordered the suspension of mobile Internet services from 12:30 pm on Monday to Tuesday midnight to "stop the spread of misinformation and rumours" on social media, according to an order of the Home Department.
Farmer unions have decided to hold a Kisan Mahapanchayat on September 7 in Karnal in protest of the attack on them and for seeking action against guilty officials.
The Congress leader also said the BJP government should "shed its arrogance" and invite farmers over for talks to resolve their pending issues and withdraw the three "anti-farmer" agriculture laws, which sparked the agitation.
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He said that far from finding a solution, or taking action against guilty officials, or calling farmers for talks, the BJP-JJP government of Haryana has issued orders to shut down Internet and also imposed section 144 in Karnal to derail the farmers' mahapanchayat.
It is clear that the Modi-Khattar governments once again want to deliberately instigate gullible and Gandhian farmers for violence.
The Congress demands that the Modi and Khattar governments should give up their stubbornness and arrogance and remove section 144 and restore internet facilities in Karnal and allow the farmers to hold their Mahapanchayat in a peaceful manner," Venugopal said.
He said farmers should be invited for talks and an FIR be registered against guilty officials.
This will ensure justice for the 'Annadata' of India, he said, demanding the Modi government stop conspiring to crush the Gandhian movement of farmers.
The September 7 Kisan Mahapanchayat by farmers is rightly seeking justice from the BJP's central and Haryana governments to take action against officers and politicians for attacking farmers, he said.
The Modi government has betrayed its anti-farmer face by attacking the livelihood of farmers with the three black anti-agriculture laws and by not allowing farmers to enter Delhi for justice, he also alleged.
The Haryana Police had lathicharged a group of farmers disrupting traffic movement on a national highway near here on August 28 while heading towards Karnal to protest against a BJP meeting. Over 10 protesters were injured.
The SKM had said a murder case should be registered against IAS officer Ayush Sinha who was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to "break heads" of protesting farmers.