Thousands of farmers on Saturday protested against the Indian government's decision to delay paddy procurement and the contentious farm laws outside Haryana state Chief Manohar Lal Khattar's residence in capital city Karnal. Hours later, Khattar announced that the "procurement would start tomorrow", the news agency ANI reported.
The protesters raised slogans, waved flags, and announced overnight scouting. Several visuals show farmers standing over police barricades and shouting, and according to media reports, the police used water cannon against them.
Earlier this week, the Indian government decided to delay the procurement process in Punjab and Haryana until 11 October. Khattar announced on Saturday that the government made this decision due to a delay in the monsoon.
After protesters gathered outside the residences of state ministers, Khattar and Agriculture Minister J.P. Dalal left for New Delhi to meet federal ministers to seek a solution.
30 September 2021, 13:33 GMT
According to media reports, clashes broke out between the protesters and police personnel after they tried to break barricades to reach the residences of lawmakers.
On Friday, the farmers protested outside a college event in Haryana’s Jhajjar. The event was attended by Deputy Chief Dushyant Chautala and police used water cannon to disperse the protesters.
“Peaceful protest is the right of people but if they indulge in any sort of violence or block the highways or main roads, legal action shall be taken. We are closely monitoring the situation", a senior Haryana police officer was quoted as saying by Indian news outlet Indian Express.
India's apex court on Friday slammed a farmers' body after it sought directions from authorities to allow it to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
"You have strangulated the entire city and now you want to come within the city and start protest again here. There has to be some balanced approach", the court said.
Several farmers' organisations have been protesting against three contention farm laws -- the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 -- since last year. The Indian government has maintained that it will not repeal the laws and the matter is pending in court.