Lucknow (UP): The state government Monday announced Rs 45 lakh ex-gratia and jobs to the families of four farmers who died in Lakhimpur Kheri yesterday. The injured will be given Rs 10 lakhs. FIR will be registered based on farmers' complaints. A retired high court judge will probe the matter, said ADG (Law & Order) Prashant Kumar.
Earlier in the day, the Samajwadi Party chief and former CM Akhilesh Yadav was detained from visiting Lakhimpur Kheri, while the Punjab and Chhattisgarh CMs were not allowed to land at the Lucknow airport. A heavy police force was also deployed outside the SP leader's residence at Vikramaditya Marg ahead of a visit to the violence-hit district where 8 people including four farmers died in clashes yesterday.
Lucknow police commissioner DK Thakur told ETV Bharat that section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code(CrPC) has been imposed in the area.
"We have conveyed the same to the Samajwadi Party leaders in a written communication. (SP president) Akhilesh Yadav, (SP general secretary) Ram Gopal Yadav, and (Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party founder) Shivpal Yadav have been arrested for violating," he said.
A police vehicle was set ablaze at a short distance from the place where Akhilesh Yadav sat on dharna in Lucknow. The police car was set ablaze in front of the police station (Gautampally). However, SP workers allege that it was the police personnel who have set the vehicle on fire.
On Sunday, eight people were killed as violence erupted during a farmers' protest over Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit. Two SUVs were set on fire by angry farmers after they hit a group of protesters. Four of the dead were travelling in the vehicles and the remaining two were farmers, sources said. According to protesting farmers, the Union minister's son allegedly ran his car over anti-farm law protestors.
Also read: BSP compares Lakhimpur Kheri incident to Jallianwala Bagh massacre
"Even Britishers would not have committed the kind of atrocities this government is committing against farmers. MoS Home Ajay Mishra and Deputy CM (Keshav Prasad Maurya) should resign. Rs 2 crores and govt job should be given to next of kin of the farmers who died," SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said while talking to ANI.
In a letter to the Lucknow airport authorities, the additional chief secretary home, Avanish Awasthi has said that Section 144 has been imposed in Lakhimpur Kheri and in view of the situation, leaders cannot be permitted to proceed to the district. Chief Minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi and Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel were to visit Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the families of those whose kin had died on Sunday's violence.
Also read: Congress claims Priyanka Gandhi arrested en route to UP's Lakhimpur Kheri
FIR registered against Union Minister's son and others, Tikait demands action
An FIR has also been registered against MoS Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra and others in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait has demanded the registration of a murder case against Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra's son after the death of four farmers allegedly in an accident with a convoy of cars.
"A case should be registered under Sections 302 (murder) and 120 (criminal conspiracy), Mishra should be removed from the post, compensation of Rs 1 crore to all the victims and also government jobs to the relatives of the family," Tikait said, alleging that the minister's son is involved in killing people and action should be taken against him.
Meanwhile, farmers have lodged a complaint against Union Minister of State for Home, Ajay Mishra Teni and his son Ashish Mishra Teni in Tikunia, Lakhimpur Kheri over yesterday's incident.
"I've received a memorandum (from farmers), demanding the dismissal of MoS Home (AK Mishra), registration of FIR based on their complaint, payment of ex gratia & govt jobs to the family of the deceased & judicial probe into yesterday’s incident," Lakhimpur Kheri DM AK Chaurasiya said.
The Tikunia police in Lakhimpur Kheri lodged an FIR against Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Misra's son Ashish Mishra and 15 others for murder and inciting violence in Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday.
Also read: Mayawati demands judicial probe in Lakhimpur Kheri incident
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha claimed that Ashish Misra's vehicle ran over farmers who were protesting against Uttar Pardesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to a village in Lakhimpur Kheri. Ajay Misra and his son Ashish, however, claimed that protesters attacked the convoy and killed a driver and three others, including two BJP workers.
Earlier in the day, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee in charge of Uttar Pradesh, has been arrested en route to the district at Hargaon. Vadra who had reached the Lucknow airport on Sunday evening following the incident was stopped by the police several times on her way to the district.
Opposition using the incident for political tourism & political competition ahead of polls: UP Minister
UP Minister Sidharth Nath Singh speaking on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence said that the Opposition is trying to use the incident for political mileage ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls.
"We're taking this matter seriously & it is under investigation. CM has said that culprits will be punished. Opposition is using the incident for political tourism & political competition as polls are around the corner. We've seen Priyanka Gandhi Vadra doing political tourism earlier. It is an attempt to hamper the probe & manipulate public opinion. This shouldn't happen. They should at least wait for 24 hours or visit after there's a result of the probe," Singh said.
"There is no issue in presenting your opinion. But if they want to complete their journey till the 2022 election over dead bodies, then it won't happen," the Minister further added.
Demand high-level probe, compensation for victims' families: CPI
The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Monday demanded a high-level investigation into the incident, adequate compensation for the families of victims and the resignation of UP CM Yogi Adityanath, asserting that such incidents cannot be tolerated in a democracy and that farmers have every right to protest.
"What happened yesterday in Lakhimpur Kheri cannot be tolerated in a democracy. Farmers have every right to protest, but the way BJP leaders are treating the farmers is atrocious, inhumane, cruel and insensitive. Considering the increase in crime against the farmers, increase in crime against women, children, Dalits, minorities in Uttar Pradesh, Adityanath doesn't have the moral right to continue to be in power. He is spending huge money for spreading propaganda about his achievements in Uttar Pradesh. Everybody knows why the sugarcane farmers are agitating, why farmers, in general, are agitating. The state government has completely failed to address the concerns of farmers," D Raja, the CPI General Secretary, said while talking to ANI, adding that the UP govt totally failed to address farmers concerns.
Strongly condemn this draconian throttling of democracy: Sitaram Yechury
General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sitaram Yechury too sharpened his attack on the BJP government, tweeting, "The sacrifice of our brave and determined farmers will not be allowed to go in vain. Our respects to those who have paid with their lives. The BJP and Modi governments have no business to not allow political parties to reach victims of the barbarism inflicted on farmers yesterday. Strongly condemn this draconian throttling of democracy."
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The BJP and Modi government have no business to not allow political parties to reach victims of the barbarism inflicted on farmers yesterday.
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) October 4, 2021 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
Strongly condemn this draconian throttling of democracy. https://t.co/wgm4adyGFv
">The BJP and Modi government have no business to not allow political parties to reach victims of the barbarism inflicted on farmers yesterday.
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) October 4, 2021
Strongly condemn this draconian throttling of democracy. https://t.co/wgm4adyGFvThe BJP and Modi government have no business to not allow political parties to reach victims of the barbarism inflicted on farmers yesterday.
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) October 4, 2021
Strongly condemn this draconian throttling of democracy. https://t.co/wgm4adyGFv
