A farmer who was injured in the police lathi-charge in Karnal died of a heart attack after being injured in clashes that took place on Saturday, 28 August, senior BKU leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said.
The Karnal Police, however, has denied reports of the farmer having died due to the injuries sustained in the clashes.
In a tweet, Chaduni wrote, “Brother Sushil Kajal, who owned one and a half acres of farming land, was giving his share in the movement for the past nine months. He had suffered serious injuries in the police lathi-charge at Karnal Toll Plaza yesterday and at night he succumbed to a heart attack… The farming community will always remember his sacrifice."
Several farmers were reportedly protesting a meeting chaired by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Karnal on Saturday, 28 August, when the Haryana Police resorted to lathi-charge.
As per reports, several farmers were injured as the police used riot gear to disperse them.
What the Police Said
The Karnal Police, however, denied the claim of Kajal having died because of the injuries suffered during the agitation.
“He did not visit any hospital. He went home in a stable condition and died in his sleep. Some are saying he died due to a heart attack. Reports of him dying due to injuries received during force used by the police are false,” Karnal SP Ganga Ram Punia told ANI.
He said that if the claims were true, the family members of the deceased farmer would have come to the police to report it.
"We have not received such information. These two incidents have no link," he added.
Lathi-Charge on Farmers in Karnal
Clashes broke out between the Haryana Police and farmers on Saturday, 28 August, after they were reportedly protesting against a meeting organised by CM Khattar and other senior BJP leaders. It was scheduled to be held at Prem Plaza Hotel in Karnal, outside which the farmers attempted to assemble but were unable to.
According to The Indian Express, the farmers tried to block BJP vehicles moving towards the hotel but were unable to do so due to heavy police presence.
The clashes took place when farmers refused to move from the National Highway.
The visuals of the clashes and injured farmers caused an uproar, with several Opposition leaders condemning the police action against protesting farmers. One visual shared on social media shows a man holding a bandage to his head, with blood on his shirt and leg.
In a viral video, Karnal's Sub-Divisional Magistrate Ayush Sinha, a 2018 batch IAS officer, is heard instructing the cops to “pick up each protester and hit them." He can also be heard saying “sar phod dena” (break their heads).
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha slammed the Haryana police for their “brutal actions” and have demanded the Sinha's dismissal.
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