Lakhimpur Kheri incident: Samyukt Kisan Morcha calls for protests across country tomorrow
New Delhi [India], October 3 (ANI): Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Sunday called upon farmers' organisations across the country to protest at District Collector's and District Magistrate's offices in all districts across the country on Monday over the death of the farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri incident in Uttar Pradesh.
SKM in an official statement claimed the death of four farmers - Lovepreet Singh (20), Daljeet Singh (35), Nachattar Singh (60) and Gurvinder Singh (19), and asked the farmers to organise protests outside DC and DM offices between 10 am and 1 pm.
The farmers' union also said that around 12 to 15 persons were injured and hospitalised in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
"It is confirmed that 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," alleged the farmers' body.
However, the Union Minister denied such allegations saying 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'.
SKM further demanded that a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) be registered immediately against Union Minister's son and others involved in the incident. SKM demanded that the Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra Teni be dismissed immediately from the Central government.
"It has to be remembered that just a few days back, he had issued a brazen threat to farmers," SKM said.
They further demanded that the incident should be investigated by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.
Condemning the alleged statements of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar abetting violence against protesting farmers, SKM demanded an immediate apology from him and a resignation from the constitutional post that he holds.
SKM appealed to all citizens participating in the farmers' movement to continue their protests peacefully, and non-violently, as they have done all the past ten months. "The movement recognises the various dirty ways in which BJP-RSS forces are desperately trying to break it, and will avoid any such attempts by holding on to 'satya and ahimsa'," said SKM.
Meanwhile, Additional Superintendent of Police, Lakhimpur Kheri Arun Kumar Singh confirmed eight deaths including four farmers and four occupants of the vehicle(s) that allegedly ran over the farmers. (ANI)
