The Haryana Police on Friday withdrew its decision to begin an inquiry against farmer leaders and protestors agitating at the Shambhu state border under the National Security Act.

The Act allows for long periods of detention without trial and suspends important rights of the accused person, including the right to legal representation and immediate information about the cause of the arrest.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab have been stopped at the state’s border with Haryana at Shambhu as they aim to march to Delhi to press the Centre to accept their 21-point demand charter. The protest started on February 13 to seek a law guaranteeing a minimum support price for agricultural commodities and the implementation of the MS Swaminathan Commission Report’s wider recommendations on farming.

“This is to clarify to all concerned that the matter of invoking provisions of the National Security Act on few farm union leaders of district Ambala has been reconsidered and it has been decided that the same will not be invoked,” a notice issued by Inspector-General of Police Sibash Kabiraj said.

The notice issued on Friday also asked the protestors and their leaders to maintain peace and cooperate with the authorities in maintaining law and order.

The notice issued on Thursday, which has been rescinded, had accused leaders of farmers’ groups of inciting violence against the administration through their speeches shared on social media platforms. The notice had come even as the Haryana government had suspended internet and bulk SMS services in the state’s Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts till Thursday.

The police under the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana had also said that two police officials had died and 30 were injured during clashes with the protesting farmers.

“During this time, the unruly protestors have also damaged government and private properties,” the police’s notice had said.

Under the garb of protest, the protestors are also creating extreme ruckus, the police had alleged.

The Haryana Police has fired rubber pellets and tear gas shells at the protestors. On Wednesday, a 21-year-old protestor, Shubhkaran Singh, died due to an injury to his head sustained during alleged firing by the Haryana Police. Last week, Punjab Health Minister had also alleged that three protestors lost their eyesight due to pellet injuries.

While the Haryana Police has denied that the protestor died due to its use of excessive force, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Wednesday that those responsible for Shubhkaran Singh’s death will face severe action.

Meanwhile, on Thursday evening, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a coalition of farmers’ unions, announced that it will hold three demonstrations across the country against the Centre.

“Starting from tomorrow [Friday], we are launching all-India mega programmes,” farmer leader Avik Saha told reporters, reported PTI. “First programme is Black Day or Aakrosh Diwas on February 23. All over the country we will be burning the effigies of [Union] Home Minister Amit Shah, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij.”

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha has also decided to hold tractor demonstrations on February 26 across the country, demanding India’s withdrawal from the World Trade Organization. He clarified that the tractors will not block the traffic on state and national highways.

An All India Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat will be organised in Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on March 14.