New Delhi [India], October 3 (ANI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will visit Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh where four farmers were killed allegedly after Ashish Mishra Teni, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni, mowed down protesting farmers. “How much does BJP hate the farmers of the country? Don’t they have a right to live? If they raise their voice, will you shoot them, will you trample on the car? Enough. This is a country of farmers, not a fiefdom of BJP’s brutal ideology. Kisan Satyagraha will be strengthened and the voice of the farmer will be louder,” she tweeted in Hindi. She is likely to meet the victims’ families who died in the incident.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who has been appointed as AICC senior observer for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, will also visit Lakhimpur tomorrow. “The brutal treatment meted out to farmers in Uttar Pradesh is unforgivable. I am a farmer. I understand the pain of the farmer. I will go to Lakhimpur tomorrow morning to stand by them in these difficult circumstances,” he tweeted.
Samajwadi Party’s National President and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary and Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar will also visit here.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha has alleged Ashish Mishra Teni, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni, came with three vehicles around the time that farmers were dispersing from their protest at the helipad and mowed down farmers and towards the end also attacked SKM leader Tajinder Singh Virk directly, by trying to run a vehicle over him. There were also shots fired, and one of the deaths was by this shooting by Ashish Mishra Teni and his team, read the statement by the SKM, which is a coalition of farmers’ unions. “Samyukt Kisan Morcha is able to confirm the deaths of four farmers at this point of time– Lovepreet Singh (20), Daljeet Singh (35), Nachattar Singh (60) and Gurvinder Singh (19). There are around 12 to 15 persons injured and hospitalised,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, Additional Superintendent of Police Arun Kumar Singh confirmed that eight persons have died in the Lakhimpur incident. Refuting SKM’s allegations, MoS Teni said that his son was not present at the spot, adding that some miscreants merged with protesting farmers and pelted the stones on the car which lead to the ‘unfortunate incident’.
“My son wasn’t present at the spot. There were miscreants who attacked workers with sticks and swords. If my son would’ve been there, he wouldn’t have come out alive. During Lakhimpur Kheri visit, our workers came to receive us amid farmers’ protest. Some miscreants from agitating farmers started stone pelting on car and injured our driver. Due to this, our car got imbalanced and 2 people died coming under it. After this, our 3 workers were killed and cars were set on fire,” Teni told ANI in a phone call. “They’ve killed people and damaged and torched cars. We have video evidence,” he added.
He said that “four of our (BJP workers) workers were killed” and asserted that cases under section 302 will be lodged against the culprits.
Mamata Banerjee terms Lakhimpur Kheri incident ‘barbaric’; TMC delegation to meet victims’ families tomorrow
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the alleged killing of farmers in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur and termed the incident as ‘barbaric’. Taking to Twitter, she informed that a delegation of five Trinamool Congress MPs will visit the families of the victims on October 4.
“I strongly condemn the barbaric incident in Lakhimpur Kheri. The apathy of @BJP4India towards our farmer brethren pains me deeply. A delegation of 5 @AITCofficial MPs will be visiting the families of the victims tomorrow. Our farmers will always have our unconditional support,” Banerjee tweeted.
Congress demands setting up of panel headed by sitting SC judge to probe into Lakhimpur Kheri incident
After Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) claimed that four farmers died in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri incident, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh demanded an inquiry by a committee headed by a sitting judge of the Supreme court.
“I consider this as a murder. I demand that a committee should be formed which should be headed by the sitting judge of the Supreme Court to find who all were involved in this murder,” said the Congress spokesperson.
He further demanded that those responsible for the “murder” of the farmers should be dismissed from their posts. “On who’s instructions was a car permitted to speed up on a road where farmers were protesting. Who was behind all this?” said Vallabh.
He also alleged that Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar had directed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers to lathi-charge the farmers. “He (ML Khattar) had said that if you go to jail after lathi-charging at farmers, you will come out as politicians. To become a politician in BJP, is it important to hit the farmers? I demand that such politicians be dismissed from his post including the Chief Minister of Haryana,” said the Congress spokesperson. (ANI)
