As the matter over lathi charge against farmers in Haryana still continues, Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala defending police's action said you won't welcome anyone with garland if they try to attack you, they had to lathi-charge.
Speaking on the matter, the Dy CM also said, "Police's job is to maintain law and order. We've made sure there's no use of excessive force in last 9 months."
Commenting on the protests of farmers against Centre's farm laws, Chautala said, "if intention is to create chaos, then it is different. But if intention is to work for farmers and farm laws, then they must have regular talks."
"Where are those 40 people who said MSP and markets won't exist and lands will be occupied?" he questioned further.
Yesterday, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar appeared to defend police's actions. Khattar also censured an IAS officer's now infamous suggestion to "crack their heads". In a video which went viral and received backlash, Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha can be seen giving instructions to the policemen about how to stave off the protesting farmers and not allow anyone to breach the security cordon. "Break the heads of all those who try to cross," he advises the police, insisting that the barricade must not be breached at any cost.
Khattar appears to agree that the officer's "choice of words was not correct" it was also necessary to strictly maintain law and order. It is not yet clear whether any action will be taken against the IAS official.
Several were injured on Saturday, August 28, as police lathicharged protesters heading towards Karnal to demonstrate at a BJP meeting, against the farm laws. The brutality of the police’s beatings, captured on several videos that went viral on social media, led to more protests across Haryana.
Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni said that as part of their ongoing agitation against the farm laws, the farmers had decided to hold a peaceful protest against BJP leaders, for which they had assembled at the Bastara toll plaza, in response to a call given by the BKU.
The toll plaza was 15 kilometres from the hotel at Karnal.
The use of force by the police invited severe criticism from various political parties.
