Ready to probe ‘entire Karnal episode’: Haryana Minister Anil Vijo
Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Thursday said the government is ready to probe the “entire Karnal episode”, including controversial remarks by an IAS officer and police lathi-charge on farmers, who have started a sit-in outside the district headquarters. The minister clarified that “no one can be hanged without investigation just because someone demands it”.
Farmers are protesting a lathi charge on August 28, in which 10 people were injured when police used force to prevent them from marching to a BJP venue in Karnal. Their demands centered around the suspension of IAS officer Ayush Sinha, who was reportedly telling policemen that they could “break heads” of farmers if they crossed the border during their protest last month. Sinha was the former SDM of Karnal before being transferred as part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle. Farm union leaders have said that transfer is not a punishment.
“We are ready for a fair investigation, but it will not be related to (East Karnal) SDM (Ayush Sinha) but the entire Karnal episode. In this (investigation), if farmers or their leaders are found guilty, Whatever action is deemed appropriate will be taken,” Vij told reporters in Ambala.
However, the minister said, “Only genuine demands (of farmers protesting in Karnal) can be accepted.”
“We can’t hang someone because someone says so… Is the country’s IPC (Indian Penal Code) different and farmers’ IPC different? It can’t happen and punishment is always given according to the crime committed To find out the crime, an inquiry should be conducted,” Vij said, referring to his demand for suspension of the IAS officer.
The United Kisan Morcha had earlier said that a murder case should be registered against Sinha for his alleged remarks on policemen.
Regarding the farmers protesting in Karnal, he said that anyone has the right to protest peacefully. Vij said, “Farmers are organizing an agitation in Karnal which is their democratic right.” “Our officers are interacting with them regularly. Dialogue is an integral part of any democracy,” he said.
The Haryana government has extended the suspension of mobile internet services in the district till Thursday midnight, said an order issued by the state home department. “Mobile internet services in Karnal district will remain suspended from 7 am to 23.59 am on September 9,” the order issued on Thursday said. Another round of talks between district officials and farmers protesting the police lathi charge failed on Wednesday, following which the protesters said they would continue their sit-in at the district headquarters “indefinitely”.
Meanwhile, on the third day of the sit-in, the protesters are staging a sit-in at the gate of the Mini Secretariat complex in Karnal, though farm union leaders have said that officials and the public will not be stopped from entering it. A mahapanchayat was held in the city and then a sit-in began on Tuesday evening when even the first round of talks between district officials and farmer leaders “failed”.
The leaders of the Kisan Sangh had earlier demanded registration of a case against those involved in the lathi charge in Karnal. Protest leaders also claimed that a farmer died after the August 28 violence, a charge denied by the administration. Farmer leaders had demanded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job to the family of the deceased farmer.
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