Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Monday that no order had been given to lathi-charge the protesting farmers in Kurukshetra. His statement is not in conformity with the statement of Jananayak Janata Party (JJP) leaders concerning the incident. However, the Chief Minister also defended the use of force in self-defense and questioned what "lathi-charge" meant.
He also mentioned that sometimes the police used sticks to disperse the crowd.
"It is not considered lathi-charge until the order is given," he told reporters during a party function.
Significantly, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and other organizations had claimed that the police lathi-charged the farmers who were protesting in Pipli on September 10 against the three agricultural ordinances issued by the central government. State Home Minister Anil Vij denied the lathi charge, but senior JJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said that the incident would be investigated.