Farm laws repeal move could have come earlier, say Lakhimpur victims’ families

Bahraich: Families of two of the four farmers killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on October 3 said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to repeal the three contentious farm laws could have been taken earlier

Families of two of the four farmers killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on October 3 said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to repeal the three contentious farm laws could have been taken earlier.

One of the SUVs that allegedly ran over the farmers and killed them, was set ablaze in Tikunia, Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, on October 4. (HT photo)

Four farmers were mowed down by a vehicle during a protest in the Tikunia area of Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh last month. Two of them— 19-year-old Gurvindar of Mohraniya village and 42-year-old Diljeet Singh of Banjaran Tada village — were residents of Bahraich.

Gurvindar’s uncle said the farmers had been protesting for the withdrawal of the three farm laws for nearly a year. “This work could have been done earlier.”

“Though PM made the announcement, he neither expressed concern over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident nor sought the resignation of Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra Teni,” Gurvindar’s uncle added.

Union minister Mishra’s son Ashish is one of the accused in the case. He was arrested on October 9 and is currently in jail.

Diljeet’s brother Jagjeet Singh said if the government had taken the action earlier, “our family would still have been together”.