The farmers’ agitation in the Kandela village of Jind district has taken a serious turn with the Om Prakash Chautala Government refusing to release the arrested Bhartiya Kisan Union leaders. Emissary of Haryana DGP Mohinder Singh Malik, DSP Darshan Singh, had promised BKU leaders the release of their activists. They went by the assurance and released the seven hostages, including two DSPs, they had been keeping hostage for eight long days.Betraying the changed mood, president of the Haryana unit of BKU, Ghasi Ram Nain, told The Indian Express over the telephone from Kandela: ‘‘By retracting its promise, the Chautala Government has stabbed us in the back. We will announce our strategy at the condolence meeting in Kandela tomorrow to pay homage to Ram Swaroop, who died in police firing. This time, it will be a do-and-die fight.’’Earlier, at the instance of Darshan Singh, the bail application of arrested leaders was filed in the court of Jind Additional Judge J.B. Sharma, who issued notice to the state for June 6. Now, additional forces have been called in on the eve of the condolence meeting expected to be attended by prominent Opposition leaders. The district has already declared the rally illegal and clamped prohibitory orders.
