20 police personal injured in stone pelting by 'miscreants' in Haryana

At least 20 police personal including five women sustained injuries when "miscreants attacked and pelted stones" at them on the pretext of protest outside Chaudhary Devi Lal Sanjivani Hospital here in Hisar.

The Chaudhary Devi Lal Sanjeevani COVID Hospital in Hisar was inaugurated by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday.

"Miscreants attacked and pelted stones at policemen on the pretext of protest outside Chaudhary Devi Lal Sanjivani Hospital. A total of 20 police personnel, including 5 women, who were injured in this attack, are undergoing treatment at the civil hospital. The miscreants also attacked DSP Abhimanyu Lohan below the Jindal overbridge. The miscreants first broke the barricade installed on the canal bridge and threw it into the canal. After this, the miscreants also broke the barricade under the Jindal overbridge and entered into a physical altercation with DSP Abhimanyu Lohan," said Haryana Police spokesperson. Police said the miscreants entered Chaudhary Devi Lal Sanjeevani Hospital complex and tried to run a tractor over the policemen, in which some policemen also suffered injuries. The miscreants have also damaged five police vehicles. "Surprisingly, even after the conclusion of the hospital's inauguration program, these people tried to enter the premises of the hospital, where the treatment of COVID infected patients has started today. Many of them were drunk and their intention was to commit violence on a large scale," stated the spokesperson.

The spokesperson said the state government is building hospitals as fast as possible to provide relief to the people suffering from the COVID epidemic but the miscreants are trying to sabotage and damage even such hospitals.

Earlier on Sunday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the newly built 500-bedded Chaudhary Devi Lal Sanjeevani COVID Hospital in Hisar. A group of farmers tried to march towards the venue where the chief minister was about to inaugurate the hospital. To stop and disperse the farmers, police used tear gas shells. Following this, an altercation occurred between police and farmers.

The farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the farm laws passed by the Centre.

Earlier, the Haryana Chief Minister had urged farmers to suspend their protest against farm laws amid the COVID-19 situation, claiming that their movements to and from dharna sites were spreading the infection in villages.

Khattar had said, "In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, I once again appeal to the farmer leaders to suspend their protests. The only goal, of all of us, should be to save the lives of people in the time of this crisis. There is nothing more than human life."

Meanwhile, in wake of the surge in COVID-19 infections, the Haryana government has extended lockdown in the state till May 24.

( With inputs from ANI )

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