Dilli Chalo: A day after Punjab farmer’s death, lack of probe into ‘Haryana Police’ intruder fuels anger
A day after the death of farm protestor Shubhkaran Singh due to a head injury at Khanuari, where security personnel used tear gas shells and allegedly fired rubber bullets on the Punjab-Haryana border, BKU (Sidhupur) president Jagjit Singh Dallewal said the death could have been prevented if Punjab police had acted when they handed over […]
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Farmer leaders of different states during press conference at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)A day after the death of farm protestor Shubhkaran Singh due to a head injury at Khanuari, where security personnel used tear gas shells and allegedly fired rubber bullets on the Punjab-Haryana border, BKU (Sidhupur) president Jagjit Singh Dallewal said the death could have been prevented if Punjab police had acted when they handed over a Haryana police official to them on February 14. The official allegedly entered the protesting farmers with the intention to provoke and blame the otherwise peaceful protestors.
Dallewal alleged, “No action has been taken to date after we handed over the Haryana police official. Had any action been taken, the youth would not have been martyred. The Punjab government should clarify its position on that.”
On February 14, Punjab farm leader Baldev Singh Sirsa and other protesters handed over a man to Punjab police, identifying him as a Haryana policeman. Sirsa brought the incident on record by submitting an application to Shutrana Station House Officer, stating that the man, in collusion with Haryana police and the government, was conspiring to tarnish their peaceful protest.
Seeking appropriate legal action, Sirsa mentioned that the man was accompanied by others who managed to escape. He overheard the man saying, “The atmosphere has to be vitiated by pelting stones at Haryana police, which is firing at us and stopping us from moving forward. Pelt bricks and stones at Haryana police, and they will run away.”
On February 16, Sirsa handed over the Samsung phone of the man to police at Shutrana police station, stating that the phone had two SIM cards. Stating that he had taken the mobile phone in his possession after catching the man on February 16. Sirsa stated that he (Sirsa) had not used the phone.
Patran Deputy Superintendent of Police Daljit Singh Virk, when contacted and asked about Sirsa’s application to the police, told The Indian Express, “Aje jaanch keeti nahi gayi. jadon jaanch karange ena nu das deyange (This has not been probed into as of now. When we will do a probe, we will let him (Sirsa) know).”
Throughout the protest, agitating farmers suspected that the government planted men among the protestors to provoke peaceful agitators in an attempt to defame them.
This suspicion grew louder after Shubhkaran sustained a head injury resulting in his death. Several in the gathering at the Khanauri border that comprised the young, middle aged and men and women claimed that “men planted by government among the agitators were provoking the protestors”.
A woman told a group of protestors at Khanuari Wednesday that “men planted by government amongst you do the mischief and you are blamed for that”.
Social media influence Bhana Sidhu who sat alongside, added, “Civil dress vich ne (They are in civvies).” One among the group listening to this seconded the suspicion, “They flex their muscles challenging the security force.”
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