Lucknow, Oct 3: Eight persons, including four farmers, were killed during a farmer protest demonstration in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri area.
Arun Kumar Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police, Lakhimpur Kheri, said violence broke out in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, where farmers were holding protests since this morning over the visit of Union Minister of State for home Ajay Mishra and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya.
The other four killed during the incident were occupants of the vehicle(s) that allegedly ran over the farmers.
Earlier, farmers unions had claimed that two of the protesters were allegedly run over by a vehicle in the convoy of the Union minister, in which his son and other relatives were seated.
Farmers unions have called upon all farmers’ organisations across India to protest at District Magistrates’ offices in all districts between noon and 1pm tomorrow.
Farmer unions have also claimed that eight farmers were injured. “In Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, 2 farmers have died and 8 farmers were seriously injured after the vehicles of the ministers’ convoy crushed the farmers standing on the side of the road, protesting against the programme of the Union Minister of State for Home,” tweeted the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmers.
Another report said that Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Ajay Mishra, was accused of running over protesting farmers with his car. Two farmers died as a result of the incident, which led to a huge outcry, the police said.
According to locals, the demonstrators had planned to show black flags to the deputy chief minister. The protesting farmers also staged a demonstration in front of Ashish Mishra’s car when he was going to receive Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya.
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) has alleged that this is when the Union minister’s son ran his car over the protesting farmers. Not two, but three farmers lost their lives in the incident, the BKU is claiming.
Subsequently, the enraged farmers burned down three cars, including one that belonged to Ashish Mishra in the aftermath of the incident. The situation in Tikunia is now tense after farmers gathered at the spot in large numbers.
