20 farmers injured in police baton charge

Guwahati, July 14 At least 20 farmers were injured in police baton charged when they were on their way to take part in a protest rally in Assam's Nagaon district on Tuesday, said reports.

Accoring to local media, more than five hundred of farmers were baton charged by police on their way to take part in a protest rally being organised by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) against the 'failure' of Congress-led state government at Lanka in the district on Tuesday morning.

"Twenty farmers were injured in the incident," said officials on conditions of anonymity. However, it is yet not clear why the farmers were lathi-charged.

KMSS secretary Akhil Gogoi said, ''The state government used police and administration to stop the rally. It is against the democracy.''

KMSS has organised a state-level protest rally for alleged involvement of seven cabinet ministers of the state government in Rs 1000-crore North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) scam and government's 'failure' in all kinds of fronts.

Social activists Medha Patekar and Sandip Pandey will take part in the rally at Dispur last gate on Wednesday.