The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Friday made it clear that it had nothing to do with the Nihangs who have claimed responsibility for the mutilation and murder of a 35-year-old resident of Punjab’s Tarn Taran district at the Singhu border protest site early on Friday morning.

As videos of the incident went viral, the SKM — which has been spearheading the farmers’ protests against three controversial farm laws — had to reckon with fresh allegations from the BJP and the Right-wing ecosystem of having anarchists in their midst.

The SKM was quick to demand action against those guilty of the murder.

In a statement, the SKM said: “A Nihang group at the scene has claimed responsibility, saying that the incident took place because of the deceased’s attempt to commit sacrilege with regard to the Sarbaloh Granth. It is been reported that this deceased was staying with the same group of Nihangs for some time.”

Condemning the “gruesome killing”, the SKM sought to make it clear that the Nihang group and the deceased had no relation with the Morcha.

“The Morcha is against sacrilege of any religious text or symbol, but that does not give anyone the right to take the law into their own hands. We demand that the culprits be punished according to law after investigating the allegation of murder and conspiracy behind the sacrilege. As always, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha will cooperate with the police in any lawful action. This peaceful and democratic movement is opposed to violence in any form.”

Earlier, Yogendra Yadav of the Jai Kisan Andolan — a constituent of the SKM — had in a video message said several farmer leaders had over the past months repeatedly urged the Nihangs to leave the protest site, pointing out that this was not any religious movement and that there was no place for them. “But they stayed on,” he said.

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya tweeted: “Had Rakesh Tikait not justified mob lynching in Lakhimpur, with Yogendra Yadav sitting next to him, maintaining sanctimonious silence, the gory murder of a youth at Kundali border would not have happened. Anarchists behind these protests in the name of farmers need to be exposed.”

At a news conference in Delhi last Saturday, Tikait was asked about farmers killing two persons at Lakhimpur Kheri after four peasants were mowed down by a vehicle belonging to Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra Teni.

Tikait had said: “It was a reaction to an action; it was not planned. When two cars meet with an accident here, even educated people — fully aware that they can claim insurance — block the road and fight with each other. What is that?”

Yadav pointed out that the law of the land drew a distinction between premeditated murder and killings that happened in reaction. “At the same time, the SKM believes that every person killed in the incident — irrespective of their political affiliation — should get justice.”