A large number of farmers gathered in Pipli in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district on Monday to attend a mahapanchayat over their demand to procure sunflower seeds at minimum support price and other demands blocking the highway. The "MSP Dilao, Kisan Bachao mahapanchayat" called by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) was being held at a grain market in the town close to National Highway-44. Following the mahapanchayat, the farmers started marching towards the highway, disrupting traffic on Delhi-Chandigarh route.
Apart from leaders of various khaps and Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, wrestler Bajrang Punia also attended the mahapanchayat, one of the grapplers demanding a probe into allegations of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
While the protestors blocked the highway during the demonstration, farm leader Rakesh Tikait denied it.
"Don't know till when we will sit here," said Tikait while speaking to news agency ANI and denied that they had blocked the highway. “We are not blocking the highway. It is not right, highways should not be blocked,” he added.
Addressing the mahapanchayat, some of the farm leaders targeted the government for its “anti-farm” policies. They also reiterated their demand to procure sunflower seeds at MSP and that the protesters arrested in Shahabad recently be released.
On June 6, farmers led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni blocked the national highway-44 near Shahabad for over six hours demanding that the government procure sunflower seeds at MSP. Police resorted to lathi-charge and used water cannons to disperse the protestors.
Later nine BKU (Charuni) leaders were arrested, including its president, over various charges, including rioting and unlawful assembly.