Chandigarh: A farmer has died at Haryana’s Khanauri border, where protesting farmers clashed with the police this evening. Farmers’ group AIKS (All-India Kisan Sabha) alleged he died during the police action, which the Haryana police have denied. The farmers have also suspended their protest march to Delhi for two days, though the sit-in protest will continue.
A doctor at a Patiala hospital where Shubh Karan Singh was taken, said he had sustained a bullet wound. A post-mortem is awaited.
“Three patients have come to us from Khanauri. One of them was dead on arrival, the other two are stable and seem to have sustained bullet injuries… but it can’t be confirmed,” said Dr Rekhi, the Senior Medical Officer of Patiala’s Rajendra Hospital.
“The person who was dead on arrival had a bullet injury on his head, but more details such as size of the bullet can only be confirmed after postmortem,” he added.
The Haryana Police had fired tear gas shells at the advancing farmers to thwart their attempts to breach the barricades at the border, the farmers said. The march was continuing after the farmer leaders rejected a proposal made by the government yesterday. It was the fourth round of talks to break the deadlock.
The Haryana Police have denied any death. A post from the police handle on X, formerly Twitter, read, “According to the information received so far, no farmer has died today… This is just a rumour. There is information about two policemen and one protestor being injured at Data Singh-Khanori border who is undergoing treatment.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann confirmed the death. Describing how he was acting as the interlocuter, he said, “As soon as I came to know and saw the video, I got goosebumps, I felt very sad,” he told reporters.
After the death, two farmer groups issued angry statements, blaming the state police and the Central government.
Shubh Karan Singh’s death “is a direct result of police action,” read a statement from the AIKS. “This killing exposes the brutality of the Modi regime even while claiming to be ‘farmer-friendly’. The BJP government in Haryana led by Manohar Lal Khattar is treating protesting farmers—who are marching towards Delhi— like enemy soldiers and is carrying out war-like operations,” the statement added.
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