Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday, 29 August, called Karnal Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ayush Sinha, who was seen ordering police to "break the skull" of protesting farmers in a video, as the commander of "Sarkari Taliban", and said that he must be posted in Naxal- affected areas.
"Yesterday, an officer ordered (policemen) to hit farmers on their heads. They call us Khalistani. If you would call us Khalistani & Pakistani, we would say 'Sarkari Talibani' have occupied the country. They are 'Sarkari Talibanis'," he said at an event in Nuh district of Haryana, as quoted by news agency ANI.
"The officers who speak about cracking farmers' heads should be posted in Naxal-affected areas. That IAS officer is commander of 'Sarkari Taliban'," he added.
Tikait was referring to the video of 2018 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Ayush Sinha instructing cops to “pick up each protester and hit them" that has sparked massive outrage, including condemnation from BJP MP Varun Gandhi.
Sinha can be heard saying “sar phod dena” (break their skulls) to the police in the video that has now gone viral.
Around 10 farmers were injured as the Haryana Police on Saturday, 28 August, resorted to lathi-charging several farmers blocking National Highway-3 and the Delhi-Amritsar Highway to protest against police brutality against other farmers in Karnal, The Tribune had reported.
The farmers were reportedly protesting a meeting chaired by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Karnal.
Meanwhile, one farmer who had been injured in the police lathi-charge died of a heart attack, senior BKU leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said on Sunday.
(With inputs from ANI, The Tribune)
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