Protesting farmers demand murder case, Congress seeks Parl session on farm issues

In a two-pronged attack, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Congress both escalated their responses to the death of a protesting farmer on the Punjab-Haryana border on Thursday. The farmers’ union demanded the “murder” charges against those responsible for the death and announced a tractor march on February 26, while the Congress urged a special Parliament session to address farmers’ concerns.

The SKM also announced that the farmers will observe a ‘black day’ on Friday and will burn effigies of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, and state Home Minister Anil Vij. The SKM will also hold an All India All Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on March 14.

Farmer leaders also called for a judicial inquiry by a Supreme Court judge and Rs 1 crore in compensation for the deceased farmer’s family. Highlighting the deceased farmer’s substantial debt of Rs 15-16 lakh, farmer leader Darshan Pal demanded its waiver.

The Congress, meanwhile, slammed the BJP-led Union government for the use of brutal force and tear gas on protesting farmers.

The opposition party demanded that a special session of Parliament be convened to discuss the pressing issues of the farmers. It also urged the Punjab government to convene a similar session of the state Assembly to deliberate on the issue. Shubhkaran Singh, a protesting farmer, was killed and about a dozen police personnel were injured in clashes at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border on Wednesday. The incident took place when some protesting farmers were trying to head towards barricades.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on `X’: “Farmers are the backbone of our country. It was only on the strength of the ‘Annadaata’ that we were able to bring about the green revolution and the white revolution. It was because of their hard work that India became self-reliant in the field of agriculture.”

“Today, when the same farmers are demanding a guarantee of MSP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving them ‘guarantee of bullet’. Using tear gas shells and firing against farmers is the height of injustice. They are respecting ‘donors’ and insulting ‘annadaatas’,” Ramesh said.

Sukhpal Singh Khaira, chairman of the All India Kisan Congress, strongly condemned the “brutal” use of force by the Haryana government against farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border. He questioned the inaction of the Punjab government, asking, “Why has no FIR been registered yet for the death of a farmer within its own territory?”

Khaira accused the Haryana Police of violating Punjab borders by shelling protesting farmers with tear gas and rubber pallets inside Punjab. He claimed over 200 farmers have been injured since the protests began on February 12.

Raising suspicions of a coordinated effort, Khaira alleged a “joint operation” between Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann against the farmers. He further claimed that besides the confirmed death of one farmer, others are missing or detained by the Haryana Police.

Responding to the death of farmer Shubkaran Singh at the Khanauri border, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher demanded a murder case be registered against those responsible. He accused Haryana paramilitary forces of entering Punjab territory and using excessive force, leading to the death and damage to 25-30 tractor-trolleys.

Pandher urged the Punjab government to take action against the Haryana personnel and register a case under Section 302 (murder). He was joined by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who demanded martyr status for Shubkaran Singh.

To express their protest and demand justice, the farmer leaders called for residents to display black flags on their houses and vehicles.

Farmers leaders on Wednesday put the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on hold for two days after the farmer’s death. They would decide their next course of action on Friday evening.

Thousands of farmers remain camped at Khanauri and Shambhu with their tractor-trolleys and trucks agitating for their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver.