As many as 56 farmers were taken into preventive custody at Kurukshetra here on Friday after they staged demonstration against the visit of State Bharatiya Janata Party president Om Prakash Dhankar to participate in a party’s programme. The farmers were later let off, said the police.
A large number of farmers, owing allegiance to BKU (Chaduni), gathered outside Ambedkar Bhawan in Sector 4 around 3 p.m. to protest against the participation of Mr. Dhankar in a training programme in the city for the party workers of Shahbad Assembly constituency. The protesters tried to block his way to prevent him from leaving the venue, but he was escorted to safety by the police.
The police took 56 farmers into preventive custody in this connection, but later let them off.
It was the second major instance of a face-off between the police and the protesters over demonstration against the State BJP leaders. Earlier, the farmers had allegedly smashed the rear windscreen of local MP Nayab Singh during his private visit in Shahbad. Four persons were arrested on charges of attempt to murder in this connection a day later.
Farmers across the State have been demonstrating against the participation of BJP and Jannayak Janta Party leaders in official and private programmes as a mark of protest against the three farm laws.
