Protest held in west UP over Lakhimpur Kheri incident

Farmers, students, and members of opposition parties took to the streets across western Uttar Pradesh against the violence during a farmer protest in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday. Eight people were killed in the violence that was triggered after a car hit protesting farmers.

Bharatiya Kisan Union chief Naresh Tikait convened an emergency meeting in Muzaffarnagar on Sunday night to discuss and decide the future course of action. Addressing the gathering, he appealed to people to continue their protest peacefully. He said the Lakhimpur Kheri violence showed the insensitive face of the government and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “After failing to crush the movement, they have now started mowing down farmers,” said Tikait. He said the incident would prove the last nail in the BJP’s coffin.

Tikait warned BJP ministers and lawmakers against entering and organising programmes in villages as people are angry and anything could happen. “If anything happens with them, the government and their representatives would be responsible for it.”

The BKU decided to follow Sanyukt Kisan Morcha ( SKM)’s directions and directed farmers to launch protests and sit-ins at district headquarters on Monday. SKM is an umbrella group of farm unions spearheading the agitation against the three farm laws enacted last year

Angry farmers held a protest at Sivyaya toll plaza on Sunday night and raised anti-government slogans. Students took out candle March in Meerut. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) workers blocked a road at Kisanpur Baral in Bagpat and also blocked Muzaffarnagar-Shamli road. Members of the Kisan Union led by Sambit Malik blocked a road in Shamli.

RLD workers also took out a procession in Hapur on Sunday night.