Farmers Movement Archive

Singhu horror: Farmer unions’ body slams killing, says the culprits must be punished

NEW DELHI: Seeking to distance itself from the ‘Nihang’ (order of Sikh warriors) group members who allegedly killed a farmer at Singhu Border protest site, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) — a joint platform of farmer unions agitating for repeal of three central farm laws — on Friday condemned the incident and demanded that the culprits be punished as per law after investigation. “The Morcha is against sacrilege of any religious text or symbol, but that does not give anyone the right to take the law into their own hands. We demand that the culprits be punished according to law after investigating the allegation of murder and conspiracy behind sacrilege,” said the SKM in a statement, issued by its nine top leaders. It said, “As always, SKM will cooperate with the police and administration in any lawful action.” Sharing details on the deceased Lakhbir Singh who belonged to village Cheema Kala under police station Sarai Amanat Khan of Tarn Taran district in Punjab, the farmer leaders said, “A Nihang group at the scene has claimed responsibility, saying that the incident took place because of the deceased's attempt to commit sacrilege with regard to the 'Sarbaloh Granth'. It has been reported that this deceased was staying with the same group of ‘Nihangs’ for some time.” Disassociating themselves from the deceased, the SKM said the ‘Nihang’ group and the deceased person had no relation with the Morcha. In a video message, one of the SKM leader Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj India claimed that the ‘Nihang’ group members had been gathered at the protest site despite the farmers leaders’ request to them to leave it on the ground that the place was meant for only farmers’ movement and not for any religious movement.

The Times of India

2021-10-16

Delhi