Lakhimpur Kheri incident: Samyukt Kisan Morcha appeals to farmers to maintain peace : The Tribune India

Ruchika M. Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 3

Even as senior leaders of Samyukt Kisan Morcha rushed to Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, they have appealed to the farmers to maintain peace at all costs and not get provoked.

At least two farmers were allegedly run over by the kin and supporters of Union Minister of state for Home Affairs, Ajay Mishra, and one farmer was shot dead when he tried to stop the miscreants from mowing down unsuspecting farmers, protesting against the BJP for enacting the three farm laws.

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Violence in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri after anti-farm law protesters allegedly run over

Talking to The Tribune, SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said this was a well-planned attack, and not an act of rage at the spur of the moment. “Two days back, we had received an audio recording, where minister Mishra was heard saying that if the farmers tried to protest during his visit, he would fight them out. But not scared of the threat, the protesting farmers occupied the helipad where the minister was supposed to land. In protest, the minister’s son and his close aides came in cars and mowed down farmers. At least 10 farmers are seriously injured, besides the three who have died,” he alleged.

The BKU leader said their message to the farmers was clear – “BJP is not with us, but we are with our country”. “We are asking them not to take law in their own hands. We demand that an FIR on charges of homicide be registered against the minister and his aides and a sitting judge of the Supreme Court conduct an investigation into the incident. The minister should be immediately sacked by the BJP government,” he demanded.