Farmer Leaders Demand Arrest Of Ajay Mishra, Son

Farmer leaders on Saturday demanded that Union Minister Ajay Mishra and his son Ashish be arrested in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, and said the incident was a “pre-planned conspiracy”.

Ajay Mishra should also be removed from the government as he started this conspiracy and is also protecting the culprits in the case, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Yogendra Yadav alleged during a press conference in New Delhi.

He also said that on October 15, which is Dusshera, the SKM will burn the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to protest against the violence.

In the incident on Sunday in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri, eight people were killed, including four farmers.

The incident was part of a pre-planned conspiracy and the attackers tried to terrorise farmers, farmer leader Darshan Pal said at the press conference of the SKM, an umbrella body of farm unions, spearheading the stir against three agri laws.

He also claimed that the government has adopted a violent approach against protesting farmers. But “we won’t take the path of violence”, Ugrahan asserted.

Four of the eight people who died in the violence on Sunday were farmers, allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers. Angry farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.

The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.

Farmers claimed that Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and his father, who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.

“We demand Union Minister Ajay Mishra and his son Ashish be arrested,” Ugrahan said.

Farmers will observe October 12 as ‘Shaheed Kisan Diwas’ and will appeal to the farmers all over the country to join the ‘antim ardas’ (final rites) of the farmers who died in Lakhimpur Kheri at Tikonia.

Meanwhile, Yogendra Yadav said, “If the demands are not accepted by October 11, then the SKM will launch a nationwide protest program. After the ‘antim ardas’ on October 12, a ‘Shaheed Kisan Yatra’ will be taken out from Lakhimpur Kheri by taking the ‘asthi’ (ashes) of martyr farmers in each district of Uttar Pradesh and each state of the country.”

A ‘rail roko’ programme will be held across the country on October 18. Besides, on October 26, a ‘Mahapanchayat’ will be organised in Lucknow to protest against the Lakhimpur incident, he added. (PTI)