Farmers Defy Govt, Announce Feb 11 Mahapanchayat Amidst Hanumangarh Protest

• Farmers in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan, held a Kisan Mahapanchayat in Sangaria, protesting an ethanol factory in Rathikheda, Tibbi region, citing environmental and agricultural concerns.
• The administration imposed Section 163, deployed over 600 police personnel, and suspended internet services in Sangaria and Hanumangarh district headquarters as a precautionary measure.
• Farmers from Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab, including leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan, gathered, with entry points barricaded and heavy police presence.
• Key demands include the immediate cancellation of the ethanol factory's MoU and the unconditional withdrawal of cases against protesting farmers.
• Farmers rejected the administration's invitation for talks, vowing to continue protests and announcing another Mahapanchayat on February 11 in Talwara.

Why It Matters: Farmers remain firm on demands against ethanol factory, rejecting talks and planning further protests.