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News Desk: The situation remained tense for a couple of hours outside a marriage palace at Indri where BJP leaders were conducting a meeting as farmers reached outside the venue after crossing barricades.
In the presence of heavy police force and two companies of security forces, BJP leaders were taken out from the venue in police vehicles to avoid any confrontation.
The farmers had given a call on Wednesday to protest against the programme, following which they reached Indri in large numbers.
On Wednesday, the BJP had to cancel the meeting after protest by farmers.
Indri MLA Ram Kumar Kashyap, district president Yogendra Rana and former minister Karandev Kamboj were among the leaders present at the meeting. “It was a meeting of booth-level workers of Indri block. The farmers should protest in a democratic way and it is the duty of the police to ensure law and order” said MLA Kashyap.
Farmers led by their leaders Rampal Chahal and Jagdeep Singh Aulakh took out a march, but were stopped by the police around 200m from the venue.
DSP Mukesh Kumar tried to pacify them and said that they would be given a designated place to protest, but the farmers refused to go to the site given by the police. Then, they crossed barricades and reached outside the venue.
SP Ganga Ram Punia reached there and talked to farmer leaders to pacify them. Farmers assured the SP of a peaceful protest.
After the programme, the BJP leaders were taken out from the venue in police vehicles. “To avoid any confrontation, the leaders were taken out safely in police vehicles” said a police official.
Jagdeep Singh Aulakh, state core committee member, BKU, said that the BJP was organising programmes to provoke farmers who had already given a call to oppose the visit of BJP-JJP leaders. “We will continue our protest against BJP-JJP leaders in coming days also” he added.
