‘Not just SDM, probe may include farmers’
Haryana home minister Anil Vij on Thursday said his government is ready for a probe into the Karnal lathicharge incident but warned that farm leaders too could face action if they are found to be at fault. Vij offered an “impartial” inquiry into the “entire Karnal episode” as farmers continued their sit-in protest outside the district headquarters for the third day. Farmers have been demanding action over the August 28 incident, when dozens of protesters blocking a toll plaza in Karnal were baton charged by the police as they demonstrated against the contentious agricultural laws. They have also demanded the suspension of former sub-divisional magistrate Ayush Sinha, who reportedly directed policemen during the August protest to “break the heads” of the demonstrators. Sinha has since been transferred. “Nobody can be hanged without a probe just because someone demands it”, Vij said.
AMBALA: Amid continued calls for action against those who ordered the August 28 lathi charge in Karnal, Haryana’s home minister Anil Vij said on Thursday that the state was ready to investigate “the entire episode”, but added that farm leaders, too, could face action if they’re found to be at fault during the inquiry.
On August 28, around 10 protesters were hurt in clashes with police in Karnal as farmers tried to march towards the venue of a BJP meeting, in which the chief minister and other senior state leaders were present, as part of their ongoing protest demanding repeal of three farm laws.
Farm leaders have said that a protester died during the clashes, an allegation rejected by the administration.
The farmers have also demanded a case of murder against SDM Ayush Sinha, who was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to “break heads” if protesters crossed the line during the August 28 rally. Sinha has since been transferred and posted as additional secretary of Citizen Resources Information Department (CRID), as per government order.
Talking to reporters on Thursday, the minister made it clear that “nobody can be hanged without a probe just because someone demands it”.
“The inquiry will not only be limited to the actions of sub-divisional magistrate (Ayush Sinha). The entire sequence of events will be looked into. Whoever is found guilty, be it the farmers or their leaders, action will be taken accordingly,” he said.
However, he added, “Only genuine demands (of farmers protesting in Karnal) can be accepted.” “We cannot hang anyone because someone says so. Is the country’s IPC (Indian Penal Code) different and the farmers’ IPC different? It cannot be like this and punishment is always given as per the offence committed. To find out the offence, a probe has to be conducted,” said Vij referring to their demand of suspending the IAS officer.
About the farmers protesting in Karnal, Vij said everyone has the right to hold a protest in a peaceful manner.
Vij’s comments come amid a growing stand-off between the state and farmers protesting last month’s lathi charge. On Wednesday, protesting farmers said they might have to keep a permanent protest site in Karnal as talks with the state remained inconclusive for a second consecutive day.
Tens of thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other north Indian states at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur outside Delhi for the past nine months. The protesters are pressing for the repeal of three controversial central laws on agriculture.