Farmers clash with police at toll plaza in Haridwar during protest against smart metres

Dehradun, Aug 21 (PTI) Farmers marching towards Dehradun to protest against the installation of smart meters and other electricity-related problems got into a heated argument with police when they were stopped at the Bahadarabad toll plaza in Haridwar, after they were allegedly lathicharged.

Farmers from Roorkee and the surrounding areas of Haridwar, under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union, were going to protest at the headquarters of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited in Dehradun, but police stopped them by putting up barricades at the Bahadarabad toll plaza.

Police said it was only a scuffle and that the farmers were not lathicharged.

At this, the farmers got agitated and tried to jump the barricades. Police officers present on the spot asked them to stop but the farmers kept moving forward, after which, the police allegedly lathicharged them.

The angry farmers then sat on a dharna, which is still going on.

Bharatiya Kisan Union's national spokesperson, Rakesh Tikait, in a post on social media, called the police action unfortunate. "It is very unfortunate that the police lathicharged the farmers marching towards Dehradun with their demands at the Bahadarabad toll plaza in Haridwar." There will be a response to every lathicharge on the farmers.

Haridwar Superintendent of Police (rural) Shekhar Suyal said there was no lathicharge. He said that there was only a "scuffle" between the farmers and the police who were attempting to stop the farmers from moving forward. PTI DPT SKY SKY