Six police personnel, including Hansi Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar, and a number of protesters were injured on Saturday (August 15, 2026) after police clashed with members of farmer unions and khap panchayats who were marching towards the venue of an Independence Day programme in Hansi. Both police and protesters reportedly engaged in stone pelting during the clashes.

Over a dozen farmer leaders and around 150 unidentified persons have been booked on charges including attempt to murder, rioting, unlawful assembly, subversive activities, and voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant. Several farmer leaders were taken into preventive detention earlier in the day.

The clashes broke out near Sisai village when a group of farmers, including women, attempted to proceed towards the venue where Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was scheduled to hoist the national flag to mark Independence Day. The protesters had earlier announced plans to disrupt the programme, demanding the arrest of the prime accused in the August 4 murder of dairy operative Jeevan Kundu in Hisar.

Police threw stones to disperse crowd

The SP, Mr. Kumar, told journalists that protesters had arrived from different places in tractor-trolleys and other vehicles after a call was issued 10 to 12 days ago to disrupt the programme. He alleged that protesters pelted stones at police personnel, attempted to run them over using tractors, and damaged police barricades at several checkpoints.

Responding to a viral video purportedly showing him throwing stones as well, Mr. Kumar said that police personnel had also resorted to stone-pelting to disperse the crowd and keep protesters away. “There was so much crowd at that time. To disperse them... to keep them away, police also had to do it,” he said.

“Some people have been detained and formal arrests will be made,” the SP said, adding that several tractors and other vehicles brought by the protesters had been impounded.

Opposition slams police action

The All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) Haryana State Committee condemned the police action, alleging that protesters were subjected to a lathi charge and that several people were arrested at different entry points to Hansi. AIKS national vice-president Inderjit Singh demanded the immediate release of the arrested leaders, the return of the impounded vehicles, and the arrest of the accused in Kundu’s murder.

Opposition leaders also criticised the police action. Congress Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda called for a fair probe into allegations of police engaging in stone-pelting, while former Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and Indian National Lok Dal president Abhay Chautala also condemned the police response.

Published - August 15, 2026 08:11 pm IST