A Superintendent of Police and a DSP were among nine policemen injured today when Jat protesters clashed with them on being prevented from marching toward Delhi.
The protesters also set fire to two police buses during the clash that took place in Dhani Gopal village on Sirsa-Hisar-Delhi national highway.
The situation turned tense when Jat protesters from villages of Chamarkhera and Kheri of Hisar district tried to enter Fatehabad district to join dharna at Dhani Gopal.
Tractor trolleys carrying Jat protesters tried to breach police barricades. DSP Gurdial Singh, who was deputed at the barrier, requested them to go on foot and join the dharna peacefully but the protesters did not relent, police said.
Later, some miscreants pelted the police party with stones. Retaliating, policemen resorted to lathicharge.
Nine policemen were injured in the clash and the protesters torched two police buses.
SP O P Narwal suffered injury on his hand. DSP Gurdial Singh, Inspector Kuldeep, ASIs Sadhu Ram, Sohan Lal, Major Singh, Daya Ram and Krishan were also hurt, police said.
The DSP and the Inspector have been hospitalised, SP Narwal said.
More police force was called in to control the situation.
Narwal told reporters that "the situation is under control. At the barrier, we did not allow tractor trolleys from Hisar to enter our district. Instead of accepting our request, they started hurling stones at police and the situation turned tense. Some protesters even wielded lathis."
The protesters also scuffled with media persons. They allegedly deleted videos and photos of the incident from their cameras and damaged their equipment.
The news persons later filed a complaint with police, demanding action against Jat agitators.
(REOPENS DEL52)
A Jat leader claimed police lobbed tear gas shells and tried to disperse them when they were marching in a peaceful manner.
A few protesters were injured in the incident, he claimed.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar held talks with the Jat leaders in Delhi today, in a bid to end the community's 50-day long quota stir.
The talks were held ahead of the Jat community's plans to gherao Parliament tomorrow in support of their demands.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC had been earlier imposed and internet services suspended in many sensitive districts of Haryana including in Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonepat and Kaithal.
The All-India Jat Aarkashan Sangarsh Samiti, the body spearheading the ongoing quota stir which entered its 50th day today, had earlier threatened that it would lay siege to the national capital tomorrow after which security forces were put on high alert in several districts including those bordering Delhi.
Notably, a complete ban on the movement of tractor trolleys on highways and roads in sensitive districts was earlier imposed by the authorities.
Violence during the agitation last year had left 30 people dead and government and private property worth hundreds of crores of rupees was damaged.
