Farmer Leaders Demand FIR As Protester Dies After Clash At Khanauri Border

Farmer leaders also called upon supporters to hoist black flags atop residences and vehicles to express solidarity and register their protest.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher with others during their 'Delhi Chalo' march, at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher demanded a murder case be registered against those deemed responsible for the death of a fellow protester at the Khanauri border point straddling Punjab and Haryana. Pandher's demand comes in the wake of escalating tensions following the incident, news agency PTI reported.

Pandher also stressed the need for the Punjab government to hold accountable the Haryana paramilitary personnel allegedly involved in vandalising 25-30 tractor-trolleys upon crossing into Punjab's territory. The altercation, which allegedly resulted in the loss of a farmer's life and left around 12 police personnel injured, erupted at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border during clashes on Wednesday.

According to the farmers, the deceased, identified as Subhkaran Singh (21) from Bathinda district, died at Khanauri on the Sangrur-Jind border amid the confrontation between protesting farmers and law enforcement authorities. Pandher condemned the actions of Haryana security personnel, accusing them of encroaching into Punjab's territory and employing “excessive force” against the protesting farmers, PTI reported.

"We urge the Punjab government to pursue legal action under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC," Pandher said during a press conference held in Patiala.

Echoing Pandher's sentiments, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal demanded that the Punjab government posthumously honour Shubkaran with the status of a martyr. Furthermore, Dallewal urged authorities to address the alleged damages inflicted by Haryana security personnel on tractor-trolleys within Punjab's territory.

Farmer leaders also called upon supporters to hoist black flags atop residences and vehicles to express solidarity and register their protest against the incident.

Notably, following the incident, farmer leaders announced a temporary suspension of the 'Delhi Chalo' march for two days as a mark of respect. They declared intentions to reconvene and determine the subsequent course of action on Friday evening.

Meanwhile, police resorted to multiple rounds of tear gas shelling at the two border points to disperse protesting groups attempting to breach barricades obstructing their march towards the national capital.