Karnal: Our talks with farmers will continue, says DC Nishant Yadav

After talks between the farmers and the district administration on Wednesday failed to make headway, Karnal Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nishant Yadav said our talks with the farmers will continue and hopes for a positive outcome.

"We had several rounds of talks with the farmers but the talks failed. The farmers are demanding action against officials involved in the police lathi charge in Karnal on August 28 but we said that we are ready to investigate the matter and will take action against whoever is found guilty in this investigation, but the farmers did not agree to it. Our talks with the farmers will continue in the future also and the farmers have assured that the agitation will continue peacefully," said Yadav.

The DC also said that whatever video of the SDM has gone viral, it has happened after the orders of the government officials and we have told the farmers that we are ready to get it investigated.

Superintendent of Police (Karnal range) Gangaram Poonia said, "The way police exercised restraint yesterday and maintained law and order in the city and no such incident of lathi-charge took place anywhere, the farmers have appreciated the police and the farmers have assured that they will continue their agitation peacefully. Our talks with them will continue from time to time".

Earlier, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said that farmers will continue their sit-in protest around the mini secretariat in Haryana's Karnal district after talks between them and the district administration failed to make headway.

He also said that farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and other places will join the protest.

Yesterday, Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which is leading the agitation against three new farm laws, had given a call for 'gherao' of the secretariat demanding registration of an FIR against officials who had allegedly ordered a lathi charge on agitators during their protest against a BJP event in Karnal on August 28.

The farmers had three meetings with the district administration yesterday but no fruitful discussion took place, which resulted in farmers continue their sit-in at the mini secretariat.

Earlier Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had expressed hope about reaching a solution through talks.

The Haryana government on Tuesday evening extended the temporary suspension of mobile internet and SMS service in Karnal district to curb the "spread of inflammatory material and rumours" during the protest.

( With inputs from ANI )