By Smritika Banerjee
Rathi Kheda village of Tibbi witnessed violent clashes after hundreds of farmers rushed through an under-construction ethanol factory and destroyed its boundary wall with the help of tractors.
Protesters not only vandalised the vehicles but also set at least three of them on fire, which left police no choice but to resort to lathi charge. Abhimanyu Poonia, a congress MLA, arrived in support of farmers but was affected in the confrontation and was taken to the district hospital, Hanumangarh.
Prohibitory orders were placed for several days and schools and shops were temporarily shut. The administration suspended the internet in Tibbi and nearby villages because of high tension.
Around 300 farmers marched to the plant from the SDM office around 4pm and demanded an immediate construction halt, according to officials.
The police fired tear gas shells as the farmers entered the premises by breaching the wall. These people then set fire to three police vehicles. This agitation was joined by several opposition leaders and farmer representatives later.
Khushaal Yadav, the district collector, said the situation was under control later on and also that the crowd had been dispersed. Minor injuries suffered by a few police personnel during the incident were also mentioned.
Yadav also mentioned that there was a designated space outside the SDM office that was allocated for the protesters. The situation went haywire after some protesters reached the factory premise and the operation for the day was also halted by the factory. Workshops and negotiations were being held for several months for locals to do away with the myths and fears that they have about the factory, he added.
According to police and district officials, the additional forces were deployed to avoid further escalation of the event.