Choice of words not correct, but strictness was needed: Haryana CM on Karnal lathicharge

Chandigarh, Aug 30: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday defended police action on protesting farmers in Karnal but admitted that the IAS officer Ayush Sinha's controversial 'crack their heads' comment was "not correct".

"Officer's choice of words was wrong. Administration will look into matter. He shouldn't have spoken those words, but strictness was needed to maintain law and order," Khattar told reporters.

Khattar also accused the Punjab government of misleading the farmers.

"In Punjab, he (Captain Amarinder Singh) is instigating farmers and in Haryana, (Bhupinder Singh) Hooda saheb & other Congress leaders are instigating them... No one has the right to block roads indefinitely," Khattar said.

"Farmers protesting there (at Delhi borders) are from Punjab. Farmers from Haryana are not protesting at Singhu or Tikri border," he said.

Videos of the Haryana police resorting to lathi charge near Bastara toll plaza have gone viral on various social media platforms. Visuals show state police beating up farmers protesting after they tried to stop state BJP chief OP Dhankar's convoy.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had expressed shock on Saturday at the "brazen brutality" of the Haryana police and had slammed Khattar for "unleashing such a vicious assault on the peacefully protesting farmers", many of whom were injured in the lathicharge.