PANCHKULA: A group of farmers on Sunday held a protest hours before Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was to attend an event here, with police taking some of the protesters into preventive custody before the CM's arrival.
Shortly before Khattar was to inaugurate a wellness centre at Thapli Nature Camp here, some farmers carrying black flags to protest against the new agri laws used alternate routes in an attempt to reach closer to the venue, police said.
A small group among them tried to cross the police barricades put up near the camp but when police stopped them, they squatted on the road.
Later, the protesters were put into a police bus and taken into preventive custody.
There was heavy police deployment in the area as Khattar was to reach the venue after inaugurating a few adventure sports activities in the Morni area.
Some of the protesters said they were holding a peaceful protest, but police used force to disperse them.
They alleged a group of farmers including some elderly, who were squatting on the road, were picked up and bundled into a police bus.
Protesting farmers have been opposing public functions of the BJP-JJP leaders in the state over the farm laws issues.
Several farmers have been camping at Delhi's borders since November last year demanding that the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price for crops.
However, the government has maintained the laws are pro-farmer.