Oppn condemns lathicharge, CM assures action

CHANDIGARH/KARNAL/ HISAR: The opposition parties on Saturday condemned the police lathicharge on protesting students in Karnal and sought a high-level probe into the incident.

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, while stating that a magisterial inquiry and police investigation have been ordered into the incident, promised strict action against those responsible for the violence. Khattar also condemned the death of the ITI student, who was crushed under a roadways bus on Thursday following which the protests started.

NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT ORDERS FROM HIGHER-UPS: HOODA

Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said such a brutal lathicharge was not possible without the orders of top authorities. Congress president Ashok Tanwar also said it was shocking that the students who were peacefully demonstrating against the death of a student in a road mishap, were brutally caned by cops. “The incident has once again exposed the failure of the government on all fronts,” Tanwar added.

ACTION UNCALLED FOR: DUSHYANT

Jannayak Janata Party’s youth leader Digvijay Chautala also flayed the lathicharge, adding that their party’s student wing Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) will hold demonstrations across the state on Monday.

His brother and Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala said firing and lathicharge has become a routine task for chief minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar. Dushyant, while addressing gathering in Balsamand village in Adampur assembly segment of Hisar, said, “Most of the firing cases took place during the BJP regime and more than 80 persons have lost their lives in police firing in the last four-and-a-half years.

POLICE MISUSED ITS POWER: ARJUN

Indian National Lok Dal leader Arjun Chautala, who reached Karnal, said the police misusing its power. He threatened to launch statewide protests if the cases against the 104 students booked under various sections were not withdrawn.