Farmers' protest: Amarinder condemns Haryana Police 'violence' against injured farmer

Senior BJP leader and former Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh on Sunday condemned Haryana Police for the "barbaric act of violence" against a farmer who was injured during the ongoing farmers' protest at Khanauri near the Punjab-Haryana border.

He also urged Haryana's BJP-led government under chief minister M.L. Khattar to take strict action against the police personnel responsible. "I strongly condemn the barbaric act of violence committed by the Haryana Police on our young farmer Pritpal Singh," Amarinder Singh wrote on X.

"I urge Haryana CM @mlkhattar to take strict action against the policemen who are guilty of badly beating up an unarmed youngster who was just serving langar to people," Amarinder said.

Farmer leaders, too, hit out at Haryana Police over the injuries suffered by the farmer, Pritpal Singh, who is currently undergoing treatment at PGIMER, Chandigarh.

Farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa said Pritpal Singh was "doing langar seva" at Khanauri when he was allegedly dragged away by Haryana Police personnel. "He was dragged from his tractor trolley, thrashed, and later admitted to a hospital in Rohtak. But we got him shifted to PGIMER at Chandigarh," he said.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Sunday said Pritpal Singh has suffered multiple injuries. "We strongly condemn the police action," he said.

Pandher also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come forward and accept the demands of the protesting farmers so that the deadlock in talks between the Centre and farmer leaders is broken. The prime minister should also take action against policemen who indulge in such "barbaric acts", he said.

The fourth meeting between Union ministers and farmer leaders on 18 February ended in a stalemate.

Punjab chief secretary Anurag Verma on Saturday wrote to his counterpart in Haryana, demanding that Pritpal Singh, who was initially admitted to PGI Rohtak, be handed over to the Punjab authorities. "You are requested to hand over Pritpal Singh to Punjab authorities so that his treatment may be got done in Punjab free of cost by the Punjab government," Verma told his counterpart.

On 21 February, Shubhkaran Singh (21), a native of Bathinda, was killed in clashes in Khanauri when some protesters tried to head towards the barricades erected by security personnel. Shubhkaran's cremation has not yet been held as farmer leaders are demanding that the Punjab government order the registration of an FIR against those responsible for his death.

The farmers' protest, spearheaded by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), was put on hold for two days after Shubhkaran was killed and around 12 police personnel injured in the clashes at Khanauri.

Two days later, the farmer leaders said the protesters will continue to camp at Khanauri and Shambhu on Punjab's border with Haryana until 29 February, when the next course of action will be decided.

A meeting of the forums associated with the SKM (non-political) and KMM will be held on 27 February at the protest sites. A common meeting of SKM (non-political) and KMM forums will be held on 28 February.

Thousands of farmers have been camping at Khanauri and Shambhu, about 200 km from Delhi, along with their tractor-trolleys and trucks after their march to the national capital to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, was stopped by security forces.

The Punjab farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.

The protesting farmers are also demanding the agriculture sector be taken out of the World Trade Organisation agreement. On 26 February, the farmers will burn effigies representing the WTO and also the Centre, farmer leaders said.