Karnal, Sept. 23 -- Police fired tear-gas shells and used water cannons to stop farmers and activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) from blocking the Delhi-Chandigarh highway (NH-44) at Shahbad in Kurukshetra on Tuesday afternoon. Traffic on both sides of the national highway halted after several protesters breached barricades to reach the road. Several union leaders and office-bearers were reportedly detained, while other protesters faced water cannons and police forces on Barara Road. The protest, led by BKU president Gurnam Singh Charuni, gathered near the Shaheed Udham Singh statue after the union's deadline for the government to begin paddy procurement by September 20 expired. Kurukshetra deputy commissioner Vishram Meena along with officials from the agriculture and food supplies department, met farmer leaders for over an hour at the site to persuade them against the blockade. However, Charuni and his aides remained adamant on their demand for immediate kharif crop purchasing. Shahbad Congress MLA Ramkaran Kala also lent support to the farmers. Following the failure of initial talks, the protesters marched toward the highway, located just metres from the statue. Addressing the crowd earlier, Charuni accused the government of repeatedly betraying farmers. "This is the third consecutive paddy season we are forced to protest," Charuni said. "There is a deep-seated nexus, and the government aims to loot farmers at mandis during the peak period," he said. The standoff follows a meeting called by BKU (Charuni) at the Shahbad grain market last Wednesday, where farmers initially demanded the procurement of paddy and bajra from September 15. Though the Haryana government requested the Union government to begin procurement for the 2026-27 Kharif season on September 20, no purchases began, prompting Charuni to issue the September 22 highway blockade ultimatum. While procurement typically begins October 1, it was advanced to September 22 last year following similar demands by the farmers. Addressing the delay, Haryana agriculture minister Shyam Singh Rana said in Karnal that the majority of paddy currently arriving at mandis is basmati, adding that formal state procurement will commence once field crop verifications are complete. A group of protestors led by the Union's Yamunanagar district president Sanju Gudiana, who managed to block the highway on a flyover, were removed from the site by police using force within a few minutes. Officials said that the traffic movement on the highway was smooth. On the other hand, upset over the police action, the peasants staged a 'dharna' below the statue of Shaheed Udham Singh, where they earlier gathered in the morning. Among them, Gurnam Singh Charuni, who recently recovered from a viral infection, has now appealed to the farmers and rival unions to join them for a larger cause. Prince Waraich, a farmer leader from Pehowa and member of Haryana Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha, said, "We have seen reports on the police brutality against the farmers, despite their genuine demands. Morcha held an online meeting and decided to support Charuni ji. Following this, several leaders and farmers have left from Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Ambala, Karnal and other places to join the dharna." The dharna was underway along the highway without disrupting the traffic till the time of this report. Kurukshetra superintendent of police (SP) Chandra Mohan said that while farmers attempted to block the road, the police stance remained firm. The police said, "The road will not be allowed to be blocked at any cost, as the GT Road serves as a lifeline for the country, and blocking it causes immense inconvenience to the public." He stated that when the farmers tried to block the road, the police used water cannons to a limited extent; meanwhile, some police personnel also suffered injuries. He added that the administration is ready to engage in dialogue with the farmers and urged them to resolve the matter through talks. DC Meena said, "State government has already written to the Union government about starting the purchase from September 20, but a response is awaited."...