Police used a water cannon on Wednesday to disperse a group of farmers, who allegedly tried to go past barricades when local MLA Gopal Kanda arrived to cast his vote for the municipal council chairman’s post in this Haryana district.
The farmers, protesting against the Centre’s new farm laws, gathered near the spot where the police had put up barricades and raised slogans against Mr. Kanda, the president of the Haryana Lokhit Party.
Mr. Kanda had voted against a no-confidence motion brought against the Manohar Lal government in the State Assembly by the main opposition Congress last month.
Farmer leaders had earlier said they would continue with their “peaceful social boycott” of the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies.
Sirsa Deputy Superintendent of Police Aryan Chaudhary said the protesters attempted to go past the barricades when the police tried to stop them.
Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said the farmers will continue with their social boycott of the leaders of the BJP and its allies.
Mr. Chaduni claimed that leaders of the BJP and its allies have stepped up their public visits in recent days, despite knowing that they will face a boycott.
He alleged that if there is violence, lathicharge and any disturbance of law and order, “such a scenario suits the government” and it will then try to use force to evict the farmers protesting at Delhi’s borders.