No last rites until he gets justice: Farmer leader Pandher over death of youth in protest

Patiala (Punjab) [India], February 24 (ANI): After the death of a youth in the ongoing farmers’ protest, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher has said that they will not cremate the person until he gets justice.

Pandher told ANI that a First Information Report (FIR) should be lodged against the Haryana Police.

“Case under Section 302 IPC should be registered against those who are responsible for the death (of a farmer). We will not cremate that youth until he gets justice. There should be a complaint against the Haryana police and paramilitary who shot him,” he said.

Responding to the resumption of the farmers’ march, Sarwan Singh Pandher said that a decision will be taken after a meeting that was slated to be held on Friday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Shubhkaran Singh died of an injury to the back of his neck while protesting at Khanauri border, prompting farm leaders to suspend talks with the Centre.

Meanwhile, another protesting farmer has died at the Khanauri border, bringing the toll to 4 during the ongoing protest under the call for Delhi Chalo, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said on Friday.

The 62-year-old farmer, Darshan Singh from Amargarh village in Bathinda district, had been staying at the Khanauri border since February 13.

The General Secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Sarwan Singh Pandher said that Darshan Singh died of cardiac arrest.

“He was at the Khanauri border and is the fourth martyr of this farmers’ agitation. He has been identified as Darshan Singh (62). He died of a heart attack,” Pandher said.

Following the death of Subhkaran, the farmers observed ‘black Friday’ today.

To press the Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver, the farmers have been camping at the border points since February 13 along with their tractor-trolleys, mini-vans and pickup trucks.

However, during the last round of talks, which ended past midnight on February 18, the panel of three Union ministers had proposed buying five crops — moong dal, urad dal, tur dal, maize and cotton — from farmers at MSP for five years through central agencies.