Farmers to stage nationwide stir over Lakhimpur Kheri incident: Yogendra Yadav

Violence erupted in Lakhimpur Kheri after two SUVs in the convoy of a union minister allegedly ran over over a group of protesting farmers in the area. Farmers, in return, set ablaze two of the vehicles.

Farmers will stage a stir outside district magistrate offices across the country on Monday over the alleged incident of two SUVs running over protesters in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri, social activist Yogendra Yadav announced today. The Uttar Pradesh police headquarters has confirmed that at least eight persons have died, including four protesting farmers and four people who were in the jeep that allegedly crushed the farmers.

A vehicle set ablaze after violence broke out after farmers agitating were allegedly run over by a vehicle in the convoy of a union minister, in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday. (ANI Photo/ Naeem Ansari)

Violence ensued in the area after the two SUVs, in the convoy of a union minister, allegedly ran over a group of farmers protesting against the anti-farm laws during the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday. The farmers were opposing Maurya's visit to Banbirpur, the native village of Union minister of state for Home Khiri MP Ajay Kumar Mishra.

Angry protesters allegedly forced the two vehicles to stop and set them on fire. They also allegedly thrashed some passengers, according to news agency PTI.

Reacting to the incident, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted that the party will not let the sacrifice of the farmers “go in vain.”

Meanwhile, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a farmer union that has been in the fore front of the farmer's protest, demanded that Uttar Pradesh government “should immediately impose cases with murder charges against all those involved from the side of Ajay Mishra Teni”.

The farmer union added that the incident should be probed by sitting Supreme Court judge, not by UP administration.