IAS officer draws ire for ordering police to 'break heads' of protesting farmers

New Delhi: A Haryana IAS officer on Sunday drew widespread condemnation from leaders of various political parties and bureaucrats for allegedly ordering police to "break the heads" of protesting farmers.

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala disapproved of the remarks of 2018-batch officer Ayush Sinha and promised strict action against him.

The officer, deputed as duty magistrate during the farmers' protest in Karnal, was caught on camera purportedly asking police to break farmers' heads. The video has gone viral.

An IAS officer using such a language is condemnable, said Chautala, who is a leader of the JJP, an ally of the ruling BJP in Haryana. What Sinha said clearly does not meet the ethical standards expected of officers, he said, adding the government will definitely take action it deems fit.

Leaders of various parties condemned the magistrate's remarks.

"The brutal lathi charge on farmers by the Haryana Police at Gharonda, in Karnal is absolutely unwarranted. Despite the peaceful protest by farmers, the police launched a lathi charge on them resulting into many farmers getting injured," NCP leader Sharad Pawar tweeted.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and the state's Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu also condemned the police action.

"Deplorable assault on the protesting farmers is an attack on Fundamental Rights of every Indian earned after innumerable sacrifices during the freedom struggle, It impinges and impedes on the spirit of the Constitution and Breaks the Backbone of India's democracy !!," Sidhu tweeted.

TMC MP Mohua Moitra said the officer should be named and shamed.

"'Agar aaye toh sar foota hua hona chahiye uska. Clear hai aapko (Break their heads if they come. Is that clear?'- Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha, 2018-batch IAS Haryana cadre. Name and shame these disgusting bootlickers. Remember Nazi guards at Holocaust camps also claimed they were doing 'duty'," she said on Twitter.

Addressing a farmers' mahapanchayat in Nuh in Haryana, which was attended by several senior Samyukt Kisan Morcha members, senior SKM leader Yogendra Yadav said "officer Ayush Sinha should be immediately dismissed from the service".

Farmers' NGO Bharat Krishak Samaj chairman Ajay Vir Jakhar urged the Supreme Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take up the case suo motu and dismissed him from the service.

"To, Punjab and Haryana High Court. Supreme Court of India. Please take suo moto action," he said on Twitter, sharing the video of Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha.

"Book (him) for attempt to murder and dismiss (him) from service," he demanded.

Former diplomat and India's Ambassador K C Singh tweeted, "Brutal police attack on farmers protesting near Karnal. Video of SDM urging police to break heads is shocking. Civil authority is meant to check police brutality not abet it. Reflects poorly on Haryana governor."

Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed said farmers were brutally lathicharged by the Haryana Police while they were on the way to peacefully protest against a meeting attended by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

"Only a heartless government will use lethal force against our defenceless Annadatas. The people of India won't forget this," she tweeted.

Former Government of India secretary Anil Swarup said, Such civil servants put the entire service to shame. They overlook the fact that such a statement could, perhaps should, be used for a criminal case against them. He forgets that no one will come to protect him. Such over zeal could/should land him in trouble."