Six killed in violence at farmers’ protest in UP’s Lakhimpur-Kheri

Lucknow, Oct. 3 (IANS): At least six people were killed in violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday, while 15 others are injured, according to official sources.

Protests on farm laws in the UP district took a violent turn as unidentified persons opened fire at the farmers.

Infuriated farmers set three jeeps on fire after some of the protestors were run over by the vehicles. One of the vehicles is said to belong to Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home, Ajay Mishra Teni.

Farmers have refused to allow post-mortem examinations of the deceased. They have said that they will decide the future course of action only after talking to their leaders

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has cut short his programme in Gorakhpur and is returning to the state capital.

ADG, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar has been sent to Lakhimpur Kheri to take stock of the situation.

Additional forces have been deployed in the area to prevent any fallout of the situation.

Tension, meanwhile, continues to prevail in the region even as opposition leaders are making a beeline for Lakhimpur Kheri.

Bhartiya Kisan Union spokesman Rakesh Tikait is already on his way there and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be reaching there on Monday morning.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, while strongly condemning the incident, has demanded that a case of murder be lodged against the Union Minister’s son Ashish Mishra who allegedly over the farmers with his car. He has demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister. A party delegation will visit Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday.

Meanwhile, Mishra said that his son was attacked by miscreants who had entered the farmers’ group.

Earlier in the day, thousands of farmers had marched to Tikuniya on Sunday and staged protests against the Uttar Pradesh government. They came from adjoining villages like Palia, Bhira, Bijua, Khajuria and Sampurna Nagar with black flags in their hands.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was scheduled to reach Banvir village to attend a programme organised by the Union Minister. However, farmers occupied the helipad site at Maharaja Agrasen Sports Ground, where his helicopter was to land.

Following this, his programme was changed and he reached Lakhimpur by road from Lucknow.

Angry farmers in Tikuniya protested by uprooting the hoardings welcoming him.