Farmers Movement Archive

'Could be a conspiracy': SKM leader on lynching of man at farmers' protest venue

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Friday claimed there could be a conspiracy behind the lynching of a man at a farmers' protest site near the Delhi-Haryana border, and demanded a thorough probe into the matter. "We are all very saddened at what happened. The Samyutka Kisan Morcha is fighting against the three farm laws. This (incident) could be a conspiracy. We condemn the incident in the strongest words," news agency PTI quoted Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a farmer leader from the organisation, as saying.The SKM is an umbrella body of 40 farm unions who have been spearheading the farmers' agitation against the Centre's three agri laws since last year. The statement came hours after the man, identified as Lakhbir Singh, was brutally lynched, his hand chopped off and the body tied to a metal barricade at a farmers' protest venue at Kundli.According to a report carried by PTI, a video is doing rounds on social media wherein some Nihang Sikhs, who are part of the protesters, are claiming responsibility for the killing. The PTI report further stated that Nihangs are heard saying in the clip that the man was punished for desecrating a holy book of the Sikhs. In the video, the Nihangs are seen standing as the man lies on the ground in a pool of blood with his chopped off left hand lying next to him, reported PTI.Speaking to the news agency further, Jagjit Singh Dallewal said they have learnt the victim had been staying with the Nihang Sikhs and had allegedly tried to steal the Sarbloh Granth, a holy book of the Sikhs. "We condemn disrespecting of any religion. We also condemn the reaction (killing)," he said.Dallewal alleged that a religious colour is being given to farmers' protest. The farmers' leader also called the killing "an internal matter between the Nihang Sikhs" as he sought to distance the farmers' movement from the incident.Meanwhile, another farmers' leader Yogendra Yadav tried to dissociate the farmers protest from the incident. "The leaders of SKM had earlier appealed the Nihangs that they had nothing to do with farmers protest and they should leave because it was not a religious agitation," Yadav said in a video message.Police said the deceased was a labourer from Cheema Khurd village in Punjab's Tarn Taran district. They said his body was found tied to an overturned police barricade near a stage put up by the farmers protesting at the site for over 10 months.

Hindustan Times

15-10-2021

India