Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. File.
| Photo Credit: X/@NayabSainiBJP
A day after clashes between police and farmers in Hansi over the demand for the arrest of the prime accused in the murder of dairy operative Jeevan Kundu, a mahapanchayat in Hisar on Sunday (August 16, 2026) authorised a five-member committee to hold talks with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on the protesters’ demands.
The mahapanchayat warned that the highways linking Hisar with Chandigarh and Delhi would be blocked indefinitely if the talks failed to yield a satisfactory outcome. The five-member committee left for Chandigarh after the meeting to hold discussions with the government.
Jeevan Kundu, a resident of Surya Nagar in Hisar, was allegedly attacked with sticks and rods by a group of men on August 4 following a minor dispute. He later died in hospital. His family and supporters have refused to perform his last rites, demanding the arrest of all those accused in the murder.
Members of farmer unions and khap panchayats had on Friday (August 14, 2026) blocked toll plazas at several locations across Haryana over the same issue.
Four key demands
The protesters raised four key demands: immediate arrest of the prime accused in Kundu’s murder, a government job for his wife, financial assistance to his next of kin, and withdrawal of the cases registered by Hansi Police against farmers and their leaders.
The mahapanchayat was attended by political leaders, social activists, Khap panchayat members and representatives of various farmer unions.
Addressing the gathering, All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) national treasurer Krishna Prasad criticised the Chief Minister and warned that the State government could face serious consequences if the main accused was not arrested within 24 hours.
AIKS national vice-president Inderjit Singh demanded the immediate suspension of the Hansi Superintendent of Police, alleging that the officer was seen throwing stones during the clash. He also condemned the invocation of serious criminal charges against arrested farmer leaders and described the detention of Jeevan Kundu’s father, Bijender Kundu, as a violation of social norms and dignity.
The movement’s struggle committee presented a report on its discussions with government representatives through official channels, after which the matter was placed before the mahapanchayat for consideration.
Meanwhile, 10 protesters, including five AIKS office-bearers, were produced before a court in Hansi and remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody. Hansi Police had booked more than a dozen farmer leaders and around 150 unidentified persons on charges including attempted murder, rioting, unlawful assembly, subversive activities and voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also condemned the police action against the farmers.
Published – August 17, 2026 04:32 am IST
