A farmer has been killed at Haryana border in Khanauri where protesting farmers clashed with police this evening. Farmers' group AIKS (All-India Kisan Sabha) claimed that he died in the police action, which Haryana police have denied. The farmers have also suspended their protest march to Delhi for two days, though the sit-in protest will continue.
A doctor at a Patiala hospital where Shubh Karan Singh was taken said he had suffered a gunshot wound. An autopsy is awaited.
“Three patients came to us from Khanauri. One of them was dead on arrival, the other two are stable and appear to have suffered bullet injuries… but this cannot be confirmed,” said Dr Rekhi, the senior medical officer. from Rajendra Hospital, Patiala.
“The person who was dead on arrival had a bullet wound on his head, but more details such as the size of the bullet can only be confirmed after the post-mortem,” he added.
The Haryana Police had fired tear gas shells at the advancing farmers to thwart their attempts to breach the barricades at the border, the farmers said. The march continued after farmer leaders rejected a government proposal yesterday. It was the fourth round of talks to break the impasse.
Haryana police have denied any death. A message from the police on Data Singh-Khanori border undergoing treatment.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann confirmed the death. Describing how he acted as an interlocutor, he said: “As soon as I got to know and saw the video, I got goosebumps and felt very sad,” he told reporters.
Following the deaths, two farmer groups issued angry statements, blaming the state police and the central government.
The death of Shubh Karan Singh “is a direct result of police action”, an AIKS statement said. “This murder exposes the brutality of the Modi regime even as it claims to be 'farmer-friendly'. The BJP government in Haryana led by Manohar Lal Khattar is treating protesting farmers – who are marching towards Delhi – as enemy soldiers and waging war. -like operations,” the statement added.
“The Prime Minister and the Executive who failed to implement the agreement with SKM signed on December 9, 2021 are solely responsible for the current crisis and its causal link,” said a statement from Samyukt Kisan Morcha or SKM.
Shubh Karan Singh, 23, was a resident of Bathinda. He was the son of Charanjit Singh, residents of Valo village in Bathinda district, farmer leader Kaka Singh Kotra said. His body is kept at Rajendra Hospital.
The young farmer, Mr. Mann said, owned two acres. His mother died early and he was raised by his grandmother. He had two sisters. “Why did he have to go there? He had to go to Delhi, why did he have to stay in Khanauri or Shambhu,” said Bhagwant Mann.
The protest
The farmers have been protesting with a series of demands, including introduction of a law to ensure minimum support price for all crops, waiver of farmers' loans and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendation.
During the latest round of talks, which ended after midnight on Sunday, a panel of three Union ministers had proposed purchasing five crops – moong dal, urad dal, tur dal, maize and cotton – from farmers at minimum support price for five years. central agencies.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur today said, “Earlier too we were ready for discussions. Still we are ready for it and in future we will be ready for it too. We don't have any problem, they are our 'Annadatas'”.
Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, who is part of the government panel, has appealed to the protesters to maintain peace and resolve issues through discussions.