Jind boils as cops kill 2

Trouble started when agitating farmers tried to block the Jind-Hansi Road. The police first lathicharged and later opened fire when the demonstrators could not be controlled. The deceased are Rajbir, alias Raja, and Ram Gopal.

Four of the injured — Phool Singh, Satish, Karambir, and Ram Phal — have been admitted to the Civil Hospital, Jind, and Naresh, who is said to be serious, is in Rohtak Medical College. Another injured, Pawan, is in Hansi hospital. Constable Narendra too was among those injured in farmers’ stone pelting.

Earlier, angry over non-implementation of the agreement reached with DSP Darshan Singh and Haryana DGP Mohinder Singh Malik, BKU decided to block all roads in the state and gherao ruling party INLD’s ministers, MPs and MLAs.

The move was announced at a condolence meeting for Ramswroop, Ramdiya and Rajesh Kumar, who reportedly died in police action. According to Nain, the BKU, however, would not hold any government officer or employee captive.

‘‘The ruling party ministers, MPs and MLAs managed to win by making false promises of free water and electricity. We will gherao them in villages to ask them their views now,’’ Nain said. CM Om Prakash Chautala has been excluded from the gherao’s purview. His sons, Ajay and Abhay, however, would not be spared.

About 3,000 people, including women, most of them carrying lathis, attended the condolence meet in a government high school, which is under the BKU’s illegal occupation for the last one month.

Nain took the opportunity to talk of the release of the minor daughter of Fatehabad SP. He said the government has released hardened criminals in exchange for the child, but were unwilling to release BKU members. ‘‘Chautala is now declaring us terrorists. While in the Opposition, he supported all our agitations and also donated money,’’ Nain said.

The entire 10-km stretch of the Jind-Chandigarh highway up to village Kandela was deserted today, except occasional vehicles carrying mediapersons.