As Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders are looking for media spots to clarify their stance and dissociate themselves from the alleged farmers responsible for the killing of a Dalit man at the farmers’ protest site, the India Today group now has come out in their defence.
Putting it on the ‘sources’, India Today in its latest report claims that the SKM had allegedly complained about the presence of this ‘armed group’ on the protest site to the Haryana and Delhi police on multiple occasions.
The SKM had alerted the police of #Haryana and #Delhi about Nihangs on many occasions, said sources in the Morcha.
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) October 15, 2021
(@iMohit_Sharma)https://t.co/YpU1FAzkAE
“The SKM had also conveyed to the police that the Nihangs were not a part of the Morcha and had made appeals to the Nihangs as well to vacate protest sites and remove the Sikh Holy books from there,” said an SKM source.
Trying to monkey balance, SKM in a statement also said that the Morcha is against sacrilege of any religious text or symbol. “We want to make it clear that both the parties to this incident, the Nihang group and the deceased, have no relation with SKM,” it said distancing itself from the incident.
‘Man admitted he was sent by someone’ claims SKM
Not wanting to upset the Nihang Sikh community, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Samyukt Kisan Morcha in his latest statement said, “When we reached the spot some people were saying that the deceased man, before dying, admitted he was sent by someone & given Rs 30,000.”
When we reached the spot some people were saying that the deceased man, before dying, admitted he was sent by someone & given Rs 30,000. I don’t have the video proof of it. Government should probe this matter thoroughly: Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Samyukt Kisan Morcha pic.twitter.com/6yikH2xo67
— ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2021
However, he simultaneously clarified that they have no video proof of his alleged confession. Ironic, considering the victim was recorded being interrogated by the Nihangs about his personal details when he was gasping for the last few breaths after he was thrashed brutally and had his hand chopped off.
It is notable here that the brutal murder took place at the SKM protest site at Singhu border. The victim was hanged with his chopped limb near the main stage of the Kisan Morcha protest site.
National Commission for SC seeks report
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman Vijay Sampla has sought a report over the killing of the Dalit man from the Director-General of Police, Haryana, within 24 hours.
Sampla has also urged Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to take immediate and strict action against the perpetrators in this matter.
