Farm unions to launch protest in Lakhimpur, demand sacking of Teni

The outfit, which is led by Bhartiya Kisan Union’s national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, claimed that around 5,000 people are expected to participate in the dharna which will be held in Mandi ground under Kotwali police station area in Lakhimpur Kheri district.

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The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) — an umbrella organisation of farm unions — will launch a 75-hour dharna in Lakhimpur Kheri starting Thursday in support of its demands that include the sacking of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni and the release of four farmers jailed in connection with the violence that broke out in October last year in Tikonia area of the district during a protest against the agri farm laws. Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra is among the accused in the case which claimed five lives.

The outfit, which is led by Bhartiya Kisan Union’s national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, claimed that around 5,000 people are expected to participate in the dharna which will be held in Mandi ground under Kotwali police station area in Lakhimpur Kheri district. The protest will be attended by Tikait who had played a key role in the 13-month farmers’ protest against the Centre’s three farm laws last year.

However, Lakhimpur Kheri District Magistrate Mahendra Bahadur Singh said the administration hasn’t given the outfit the permission to hold the dharna. “The venue selected by the outfit to hold the dharna is a public place and it will create hindrance for several persons. Another reason for rejecting the permission is the pandemic. The permission was denied in public interest,” he added.

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When contacted, Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said the local administration is taking the due course of action.

“We are holding the dharna because despite our demands, the government did not sack Ajay Mishra. Moreover, despite promising us that no action will be taken against any farmers in the Tikonia case, the police arrested four farmers and sent them to jail. We demand that those four farmers be released because they acted in self-defense as the assailants had come to kill them,” said BKU (Tikait)’s district president Dilbagh Singh. He added that the outfit has also demanded that the Yogi Adityanath-led state government provide government jobs to family members of the victims and provide financial help to those injured in the Tikonia violence.

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He said the 75-hour protest will start at 11am.

Hundreds of farmers from Punjab are travelling to Lakhimpur Kheri to participate in the protest. Joginder Singh Ugrahan, one of the members of SKM’s coordination committee said, “Over 2,000 farmers from our union went towards Lakhimpur Kheri in buses.”

(Inputs from Rakhi Jagga)

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