The Centre has declined Haryana’s request for Gallantry Medals for six police officers who managed the farmers’ protests at the Punjab-Haryana border earlier this year, which led to the death of a young farmer from Bathinda. The decision comes amid growing controversies over the state’s recommendations and criticism from various quarters.
On July 2, the Haryana government recommended Gallantry Medals for three IPS officers—Sibash Kabiraj, Jashandeep Singh Randhawa, and Sumit Kumar—and three Haryana Police officers—Narender Singh, Ram Kumar, and Amit Bhatia. As per the Haryana government, these officers were recognised for their “exceptional bravery and leadership” in handling the farmer protests. However, their names did not appear in the list of gallantry awards released by the Centre on August 14, just ahead of Independence Day.
The recommendation faced backlash from several quarters, including Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhawan, who wrote to the Prime Minister protesting the move. Farmers’ organisations also criticised the Haryana government’s recommendations, arguing that the police’s actions against the protesters should not be rewarded.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court further complicated the situation. Also on August 12, the Centre informed the court that it had not finalised the gallantry medals for the recommended officers.