3rd round of meetings ends on positive note

Chandigarh: The marathon third round of talks between protesting farmers and Karnal district administration ended on a positive note, with farmer leaders telling the media that agreement has been reached on most of the demands and only one issue is left to be resolved.

Gurnam Singh Charuni, BKU leader from Haryana, said that the two sides will have another round of meeting at 9 am on Saturday and they were hopeful that the logjam will end on the same day.

Asked about the points on which the two sides have arrived at an agreement and where does the deadlock remains, Charuni said they have promised not to discuss the details of the agreement with the media.

"Wait till tomorrow (Saturday)," the farmer leaders said.

The meeting began at 5.30 in the evening in the mini secretariat and ended a little before 10 in the night.

Earlier, the farmers were invited for the third round of talks by the authorities as the protest outside mini secretariat entered its 4th day today.

Haryana government had sent a senior IAS officer Devender Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Public Health Engineering and Irrigation Departments) to Karnal to negotiate with the protestors.

Karnal DC Nishant Kumar Yadav, SP Ganga Ram Punia and other officers of the district administration were also present in the mini secretariat where the meeting was in progress.

Singh has a long experience of working in Karnal as an ACS in charge to review and monitors various works, including preparedness for Covid-19.

Farmer leaders said before the start of the meeting that they were firm on their demands to get Ayush Sinha suspended and booked under criminal charges.

In a video that went viral after farmers clashed with the police on August 28, Sinha, an IAS officer was heard telling cops to "break the heads" of farmer protesters who jump the barricades.

The administration however has so far refused to accept the farmers' demand saying any action they take would only be after investigation.

On August 28, clashes were reported between farmers and police in Karnal, where the former were holding a protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party, which was holding a meeting under Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Several farmers were wounded in a lathicharge. Protesters claim at least one farmer has died because of the lathicharge, although police have denied any link.

Farmers have decided to camp outside Karnal's mini secretariat until their demands are met and have been sleeping in tents pitched outside since Tuesday.

Prepared for a long haul, farmers were seen erecting waterproof tents where the protestors could rest during rain and inclement weather.

Meanwhile, the Karnal Bar Association extended support to the farmers' protest earlier in the day.

Endorsing the demand of the agitating farmers, the association has also demanded the immediate removal of officer Ayush Sinha.

Meanwhile, the local administration has restored the internet facilities in Karnal from Friday.