Behind stalemate over farm stir, Centre no to withdrawing Red Fort violence cases

Multiple sources in the government said that as the Union ministers said that cases pertaining to the Red Fort will not be withdrawn, the farmer leaders asked for the reason.

“To this, the Union ministers told them that the cases of heinous crimes would not be withdrawn. The farmers leaders then asked if Red Fort violence was categorised as heinous crime. They got the answer in the affirmative,” said a source privy to meetings.

Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher, who is leading the current protest, had also found himself in the controversy during the Red Fort violence after a video surfaced in which he was heard telling the farmers to move towards the fort. Later, Pandher had denied it.

Pandher told The Indian Express Monday that it was wrong to say that the talks broke due to Red Fort violence cases. “There was no case registered against me. Rumours are being spread against us. We had legitimate demands,” he said.

While the Union ministers offered MSP on three crops including pulses, cotton and maize, the farmer leaders also demanded debt waiver.

The government, it is learnt, has not been able to find a way out on the issue of stalemate over farmer Shubhkaran Singh’s cremation due to a injury to the back of his head. His body is lying in the mortuary at Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. The farmer leaders and his family have demanded registration of cases against those responsible for Shubhkaran’s death. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the next of kin and a government job to his younger sister.

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, coordinator of SKM (non-political), said, “It is high time the Punjab government speaks up for the farmers. What is stopping CM (Bhagwant Mann) from lodging an FIR against the guilty officers of Haryana and the ones who ordered to open fire on unarmed people at the protest site.”

Pandher said although there has been no development in talks, “we appreciate the move to restore internet connection in Haryana and Punjab.

The government needs to normalise things before any further talks. Now, they (Punjab government) need to act on the persons who killed Shubhkaran”.

A source said that the government would also announce that a road would be named after Shubhkaran to commemorate his sacrifice.
“A case will not be registered. A state cannot register a case against the police of another state. This is not doable,” said a functionary.

The government has assigned ADGP intelligence Jaskaran Singh to mediate between the farmers and the government. No headway, however, has been made into the case yet.