Under pressure to act against Karnal sub-divisional magistrate Ayush Sinha for his controversial instructions to the cops against protesting farmers in Karnal, the BJP-JJP led Haryana Government on Wednesday transferred the IAS officer to Haryana, Citizen Resources Information Department (CRID).
Sinha, a 2018 batch IAS officer, has been posted as Additional Secretary to Government, Haryana, CRID in an order of transfer and posting of 19 IAS officers issued by the State Government.
In a video that went viral on Saturday, Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha was caught on camera instructing policemen to “crack the heads” of farmers at a protest in Karnal, where over 200 BJP leaders including Chief Minister Manohal Lal Khattar, state party president Om Prakash Dhankar, MLAs, MPs were to attend a party meeting. At least 15 farmers were injured in the lathi charge by police in Karnal on the same day.
The Chief Minister had on Monday admitted that the officer’s choice of words was not correct while strictness had to be maintained to ensure law and order situation in Karnal.
After the video of the officer went viral, the opposition parties and farmers’ unions had demanded a strict action against him. Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala had also condemned Sinha for his comments.
Only a day before, the Congress had submitted a memorandum to the National Human Rights Commission seeking registration of a case and strict action against those who are guilty of the lathi charge on farmers. Another memorandum was submitted to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking a judicial inquiry from a sitting judge of the High Court or a retired judge in the matter.