Protesting farmers who staged a mahapanchayat in Haryana’s Kurukshetra continued to block the highway to Delhi to press their demand for minimum support price for sunflower seeds.

Visuals shared on social media platforms showed farmers with tractors blocking National Highway-44 in Kurukshetra district. Food and refreshments were also arranged at the site where they also spent the night.

On Monday, farmers, led by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni), on Monday held a mahapanchayat and blocked a key national highway in Pipli in Haryana's Kurukshetra district connecting Delhi with Chandigarh, Amritsar and Jammu continued till late night, police had to divert traffic. The "MSP Dilao, Kisan Bachao Mahapanchayat" was held at a grain market in Pipli close to the highway.

The district administration and the police were making efforts to persuade the protesting farmers to lift the blockade, occupying a 500-metre stretch on the highway, which caused inconvenience to commuters till late night. The traffic from Chandigarh towards Delhi was also diverted, police said.

What are the farmers demanding?

The farmers are protesting over not getting MSP for sunflower seeds. They are also demanding the release of nine farmer union leaders who were arrested during a protest at Shahabad here recently.?

Leaders of various khaps, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait and Olympic medal-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia, one of the grapplers who have been demanding action against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual harassment of women grapplers, attended the mahapanchayat in Pipli. Tikait also sat with the protesting farmers on the national highway.?

Farmers from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan too attended the gathering.

They said the blockade will continue until their demands are met.