In HC, Haryana Police blame farmers for Karnal violence

ON AUGUST 28, 10 PROTESTERS WERE HURT IN CLASHES WITH POLICE AS THEY TRIED TO MARCH TOWARDS THE VENUE OF A BJP MEETING

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Police blamed farmers for the violence that broke out during a protest against three central laws on August 28 in Karnal town and asked the Punjab and Haryana high court to direct cultivators to not block highways during their events.

In an affidavit, the police also claimed that a controversial clip, where then Karnal sub-divisional magistrate Ayush Sinha could be heard telling police to “break the heads” of protesters, was shot 13km from the main protest site.

“The petitioners talk about the right to protest but right cannot be enjoyed at the cost of right to freedom of movement and right to life and liberty,” the police said. The affidavit was filed by inspector general of police (IGP), Karnal range, Mamta Singh, in response to a plea seeking judicial inquiry and alleging that Sinha’s instructions violated fundamental rights.

On August 28, around 10 protesters were hurt in clashes with police in Karnal as farmers tried to march towards the venue of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) meeting, in which chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and other senior state leaders were present. Farm leaders claimed that a protester died later, an allegation rejected by the administration. At the time, farmers had blocked the Ambala-delhi highway.

Hours after the clashes, a video clip showed Sinha purportedly instructing a group of policemen: “Hit them hard…we shall not allow this cordon to be breached. We have enough force available. No one should break the cordon and reach me. If someone does, make sure he has a broken head.” The IAS officer alleged the video was edited and consisted only of selected portions of his overall instructions to the police.

The controversy later sparked a tense standoff between farmers and the administration outside the mini secretariat in Karnal, which was only resolved on September 11 when the administration agreed to a judicial probe into the incident.

In the affidavit, police say farmers were supposed to protest in Karnal city on August 28 but around 800 cultivators gathered at Bastara toll plaza, which is 13 km from the city and allegedly surrounded the vehicle of state BJP chief, Om Prakash Dhankar, and sat on a dharna.

Police claimed that farmers were armed with sticks, iron rods and farm equipment, and attacked security forces with spades. Police said four farmers were injured against 24 policemen, and the lathicharge was done in response to stone pelting by farmers. Police also told the court that the video showing Sinha was filmed 13km from the toll plaza, where lathi charge occurred and that no policemen from there had joined the force at the plaza.