Nihang's Purported Photo With Agriculture Minister Triggers Row

The group photo includes Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and a man in blue robes of the Sikh order of the Nihangs.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Tuesday called the killing of a labourer at the Singhu border a possible conspiracy to defame the farmers' agitation, citing a purported photograph of Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar with a Nihang "leader".

Former state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar also joined the controversy triggered by the appearance of the photograph on social media, alleging that Central agencies could be involved in last week's murder at a farmers' protest site near the Delhi-Haryana border.

The group photo includes Mr Tomar and a man in blue robes of the Sikh order of the Nihangs. The Union minister has in the past met farmer protest leaders to negotiate a solution to the deadlock over agri-marketing laws.

Without mentioning any name, Mr Randhawa claimed that the same Nihang leader was "defending" the main accused in the killing. The Nihang group had accused the victim of desecrating a Sikh holy book.