New Delhi: Union Minister Ajay Mishra on Sunday said that three BJP workers and a driver were beaten to death by "some elements" in the protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh after a car in which they were travelling turned turtle following pelting of stones.
Mishra told media over the phone that two farmers had died after coming under the car.
The Union minister of state for home said neither his son nor he was present at the site when the incident occurred.
He said the incident happened when some BJP workers were going to receive UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya who had come to attend an event at Lakhimpur Kheri.
"Some elements in farmers, who were protesting, showed black flags and pelted stones on the car which turned turtle. Two farmers came under the car and died.
"Three BJP workers and the driver of the car were beaten to death by some people present there," he said, adding he was on his way to get their postmortem done.
Mishra said his son was not present at the spot as alleged by some farmer leaders and he has photographic and video evidence to prove it.
"My son was present at the venue of the (deputy chief minister's) event and thousands of people, officers of the administration and police were present there. All through, I was accompanying the deputy chief minister," he said.
The violence broke out after two SUVs allegedly ran over a group of anti-farm law protesters, who were demonstrating against the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya at the Tikonia-Banbirpur road near Lakhimpur.
Angry protesters allegedly forced the two vehicles to stop and set them on fire. They also allegedly thrashed some passengers.
The farmers had assembled there to oppose Maurya's visit to Banbirpur, the native village of Union minister of state for Home and MP Ajay Kumar Mishra.
Several journalists were also reported to have sustained injuries in the incident.
PTI
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