Hours after announcing to slap NSA charges on protesting farmer leaders, Haryana Police backtracks

The IGP added: “Haryana Police appeals to the protesters and their leaders to maintain peace and co-operate with the authorities in maintaining law and order.”

Late on Thursday evening, the Ambala police, in an official statement shared on X, stated that it had started the process to detain the farmer leaders “to maintain law and order and to prevent a disturbance in the social harmony”.

Since February 13, continuous efforts are on by farmers to break the barricades put up at the Shambhu border as part of their ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest call, read the statement issued in Hindi.

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The police had also stated that many farm union leaders were playing an active role in the agitation and were trying to disturb law and order. “Daily attempts are being made to spoil the law and order by pelting stones at the police administration and by creating ruckus. Provocative speeches are being spread through social media like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram continuously and posts are being shared to disturb social harmony. The agitators are being provoked against the administration through speeches and wrong words are being used against the administrative officers and the government,” it said.

During the agitation, as many as 30 policemen received injuries and one died due to haemorrhage, it said, adding that two other policemen also died on duty.

The Ambala police further said that it was “alleged that under the cover of agitation, anti-social elements are creating mischief”.

“During this period, a lot of damage has been caused to government and private property by the hooligans. The damage caused to government and private property by the agitators is being assessed,” it said, mentioning that the administration had already alerted the general public that if the agitators cause damage to government or private property during the movement, then the loss would be compensated by seizing their property and bank accounts.

“In this regard, action is being taken by the administration against the agitators and office bearers of the farmer unions. If any common man has suffered any loss of property during this movement, he can give details of the loss to the administration,” read the statement.

The Ambala police earlier said it had initiated the process to attach properties and seize the bank accounts of the protesting farmers to cover the losses caused to government property, even as the process of calculating the damages was underway.

In connection with the action related to attaching properties and seizing bank accounts, sources said notices were issued against local leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) in Ambala district which includes its president Amarjeet Singh Mohri, spokesperson Tejveer Singh, core committee member Jai Singh Jalbera, and other farm activists including Manjeet Singh (Garnala village), Gurmeet Singh (Majri), Kuldeep Singh (Mohri) and Sukhchain Singh (Bharog).

Meanwhile, sources said that in Jind district, the Haryana Police lodged an FIR against agitating farmers under attempt to murder charges in connection with the violence at the Datta Singhwala-Khanauri border of Punjab on Wednesday in which some police personnel had also received injuries.