Raising questions over the Delhi police’s role in January 26 incidents related to the protesting farmers, Punjab’s academicians, including university’s former vice-chancellors, on Thursday sought a judicial probe by a sitting Supreme Court or the High Court Judge “to dig out the truth behind these unfortunate happenings in Delhi”.

The State’s educationists, perturbed over the turn of events in Delhi on the Republic Day, also expressed their concerned at the Central Government’s role in “creating” and dealing with this crisis.

“We strongly appeal to the Government of India to order a judicial probe by a Judge of the Supreme Court or High Court to dig out the truth behind these unfortunate happenings in Delhi and take appropriate action against the guilty…We also appeal to all the people to maintain peace,” read a statement, signed by 15 educationists, including former Higher Education secretary Dr Manmohan Singh, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, former VC Dr HS Soch, Punjab School Education Board’s former chairman Dr Harbans Singh Sidhu, Punjab Educationists Forum president Principal Tarsem Bahia, among others.

Raising question over the Central Government, the statement pointed that there was no emergency to enact these laws when the country was fighting corona-pandemic, and “secondly, the Government failed to assess the extent of discontentment among farmers. Even when lakhs of farmers were sitting on the borders of Delhi, the Central Government kept saying that only a handful of farmers are protesting”.

The crisis could not be resolved even after many meetings between Central Ministers and farmers’ representatives, they added.

The educationists maintained that it was unfortunate that when the Delhi Police Authorities have allowed Tractor Parade on January 26 and they must have made adequate security arrangements, “a handful of anti-social elements could reach Red Fort and hoist a religious flag along with the flag of a farmers’ organization”.

“It is strange that the government agencies remained mute spectator even though a night earlier the anti-social elements had publicly announced their intention not to follow the agreed route map and to reach Red Fort,” they added.

“Subsequent media reports and version of farmers’ leaders allege connivance of police authorities on the behest of Central Government. Some persons close to the ruling party have been named publicly. We are deeply concerned about these allegations,” read the statement.