New Delhi—The Samayukta Kisan Morcha today distanced itself from the incident where the body of a man was found tied to a barricade near Singhu border. The man was allegedly killed by a group of Nihangs for desecrating a sacred scripture of the Nihangs at Singhu. Condemning the ‘be-adabi’, the farmers’ body also expressed disapproval of the alleged murder, asserting that the kisan morcha is a struggle to get the new farm laws repealed and some “mischievous elements” are trying to give it a religious angle.

Addressing a press conference held shortly after the incident, senior SKM member Jagjit Singh Dallewal said, “No religious symbol should be disrespected and it is highly condemnable. That said, we are also against anyone taking the law in their hands to avenge any desecration.” Sharing the details of the deceased identified as Lakhvir Singh of Tarn Taran, Punjab, he claimed that the man was living with the Nihangs for some time. While replying to a question that Nihangs are part of the farmers’ protest, Dallewal said that the morcha is a pan-world revolution. “People from all sects and religions are part of the protest. Such incidents are handiwork of some mischievous elements who want to paint it with a communal brush and disrupt harmony. We cannot link the protest to one particular community,” he said, demanding an impartial probe into the matter.

Denying that the SKM is not washing its hands off the alleged killing, the farmer leader again asserted that it was only to make farmers’ protest a religious protest. “We will discuss the presence of Nihangs at the protest site and take a call on it. Besides, we will also investigate which jathebandi of the Nihangs was involved in it,” said Ruldu Singh Mansa, another senior SKM leader.