Karnal, Oct. 19 -- Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni and members of his union on Saturday stopped several trucks carrying paddy from Uttar Pradesh at the Haryana-UP border near Mangloura village on the Karnal-Shamli highway, alleging that the grain was being brought into Haryana for unauthorised sale in local mandis. Several trucks were sent back after being checked by the protesters.

Charuni claimed that rice millers from Karnal were purchasing cheaper paddy from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand-where there is no government procurement-and selling it in Haryana mandis. "This hurts local farmers who struggle to get MSP. We will raise the issue both in UP, for MSP procurement, and in Haryana, to stop this open loot," he said.

The developme...