In Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, eight people were killed on Sunday when a convoy of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra crushed a group of protesting farmers protesting against farmer laws. The farmers responsible for this violence have been told by the son of Minister Ajay Mishra. Four of the eight people killed in the violence were farmers. The news of the matter spread like fire in the entire state as well as in the entire country, causing an uproar in the politics of the parties in the political corridors.
The 9th death in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence was the death of local journalist Raman Kashyap. He had suffered serious injuries in Sunday’s violence. So far 4 farmers, 3 BJP workers, 1 driver and 1 journalist have died.
Expressing deep grief over the incident, Samajwadi Party chief and former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav left for Lakhimpur Kheri but was stopped by the UP Police in Lucknow itself, yet he remained adamant about visiting Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the aggrieved family members of the farmers. , and sat on a dharna there along with his socialist comrades. After some time he was arrested as soon as he came out of his Lucknow residence.
“Even the British did not commit as much atrocities as the BJP government is doing on the farmers. The Minister of State for Home and the Deputy Chief Minister should resign. The farmers who lost their lives should be given Rs 2 crore.” Their families should be given government jobs,” Akhilesh Yadav said.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also reached Lucknow on the day of the incident, and she too was all set to go to Lakhimpur Kheri. But on Sunday itself, the Uttar Pradesh Police took her into custody as she was earlier going to meet the families of farmers killed in violence during protests against the anti-agriculture laws.
“Today’s incident shows that this government is using politics to crush the farmers. This is a country of farmers, not of BJP… I am not committing any crime by deciding to meet the families of the victims… why are you stopping us? You must have a warrant, ”- said Priyanka.
According to the memorandum given to the District Magistrate Lakhimpurkhiri, three demands have been made by the farmers, in which they have demanded the removal of the minister, one crore compensation to the kin of the killed farmers, and registration of a murder case against the son of Ajay Mishra Teni.
According to the information, the Uttar Pradesh government can hold talks with the farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. The protesting farmers have refused to give the bodies for postmortem. Police sources say that an FIR has also been registered against Ajay Mishra Teni’s son under Section 302 of the IPC. The First Information Report also includes the names of several others.
Police have registered an FIR under IPC sections 302, 304A, 147, 148, 149, 120B and 279 at Tikonia police station. The main accused in the case is Ashish Mishra, son of Ajay Mishra Teni. Apart from this, 13 more have been nominated.
Angered by Mishra’s recent speech, the farmers had gathered to block the visit of the two ministers. Late last month, Mishra had dismissed the protest by farmers against agricultural laws, saying it was “a protest of 10-15 people, and it would take them just two minutes to get in line”.