Hours after the gruesome killing of a man at the Singhu border on October 15, Friday, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha - the umbrella body of the union of farmers have issued a statement condemning the murder saying they denounce any act of violence.
Singhu border is one of the protest sites where the farmers have been starting demonstrations since last year against the centre's three farm laws. SKM has been leading the protest.
The statement issued by farmers leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Hannan Mollah, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Shivkumar Sharma Kakkaji, Yudhvir Singh and Yogendra Yadav, clearly asserted, “This peaceful and democratic movement is opposed to violence in any form.”
The statement further said: "A Nihang group at the scene has claimed responsibility, saying that the incident took place because of the deceased's attempt to commit sacrilege with regard to the Sarbaloh Granth. It is been reported that this deceased was staying with the same group of Nihangs for some time."
Also Read: Police lodge FIR against unknown for Dalit man’s murder at Singhu border, deceased identified
The culprits should be punished according to the due process of law, added SKM.
“Samyukt Kisan Morcha condemns this gruesome killing and wants to make it clear that both the parties to this incident, the Nihang group and the deceased person, have no relation with Samyukta Kisan Morcha. The Morcha is against sacrilege of any religious text or symbol, but that does not give anyone the right to take the law into their own hands. We demand that the culprits be punished according to law after investigating the allegation of murder and conspiracy behind sacrilege. As always, Samyukt Kisan Morcha will cooperate with the police and administration in any lawful action,” the statement read.
Clarifying that the group responsible for the murder is not related to the ongoing farmers protest in any manner, Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, stated that this was an attempt to give the morcha religious colour.
News agency ANI quoted Dallewal saying, “Attempt being made to make morcha into a religious issue... seemingly a conspiracy, it should be probed….”
On Friday morning, a mutilated dead body of a man was found at the Singhu protest site. The victim identified as Lakhbir Singh was found drenched in blood with his legs chopped and his left wrist severed.
Singh, 36, was a resident of Cheema Khurd village in Jalandhar's Tarn Taran district and belonged to the Scheduled Caste. His body was found tied to a metal police barricade.
Also Read: Video of Nihangs confessing killing man at Singhu border goes viral
An FIR has been registered by the Haryana police Sonipat's Kundli police station and the viral video in which Nihangs are seen standing near the man’s dead body is being probed, the police informed.
The Haryana Police has registered an FIR against unknown persons in the barbaric incident that took place at the Singhu border.
Initial media reports claim that Nihangs who are the 'warrior' Sikh group have been accused of the incident.