Four farmers were among eight persons killed in violent clashes in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri. (PTI Photos)The mortal remains of three of the farmers, who were mowed down by a vehicle during a protest in Lakhimpur Kheri, were cremated at their native places on Tuesday, while the family of the fourth one demanded a second post-mortem. Bahraich Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Ashok Kumar was quoted as saying by PTI, “A decision on the demand for a second post mortem could be taken only by senior officials.”
The families of Lavpreet Singh (19), Nachattar Singh (65) and Daljeet Singh (42) agreed to the cremation after hours of negotiations involving police officials and farmer leader Rakesh Tikait. But the family of Gurvinder Singh (22) of Matera tehsil refused to cremate him till a second autopsy is done and alleged that he was shot dead.
Meanwhile, with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi being arrested and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel being reportedly stopped at the Lucknow airport, Congress leaders slammed BJP over the crisis on Tuesday, with Rajasthan CM saying that ‘democracy is under threat’ and Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi stating that the Lakhimpur Kheri incident reminded him of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy.
Addressing a dharna at the Rajasthan Congress Pradesh Committee (PCC) office here against the Lakhimpur violence, Gehlot further said, “The situation is dreadful. What happened in Lakhimpur Kheri is not a small thing; this has shaken the whole country,” Gehlot said. Meanwhile, Channi said he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the evening and will raise with him the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. Channi, who along with some ministers and Congress legislators held a silent protest at Gandhi Smarak Bhawan here, said the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri reminds him of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh tragedy.
Earlier, the Sitapur police on Tuesday arrested Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and at least 10 others, to “prevent the commission of cognizable offences”. Other than Priyanka Gandhi, those arrested include Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda, UP Congress state president Ajay Kumar Lallu and party MLC Deepak Singh. The arrest has been made under section 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) of the CrPC.
A vehicle set ablaze after clashes broke out following the death of the farmers who were allegedly run over by a vehicle in the convoy of a Union Minister. (Photo: PTI)
The death of TV journalist Raman Kashyap in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence is shocking and raises many questions, the Editors Guild of India (EGI) said on Tuesday and demanded that a separate probe should be conducted by a court-led special investigation team to ascertain the circumstances under which he died.
In a statement, the Guild noted that there are "competing versions" coming in the media about the death of Kashyap with one version claiming that he died of bullet wounds. "EGI is shocked by the death of Raman Kashyap... He was killed along with eight others in the violence that erupted after some vehicles were driven through the protesting farmers allegedly under the instructions of Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister of state, Ajay Kumar Mishra," the EGI said.
"In what is clearly a terror attack meant to spread fear amongst the farmers, the killing of Kashyap raises many questions. There are competing versions about Kashyap's death including a version that claims he died of bullet wounds," it added.
"The Editors Guild demands that the death of Kashyap be separately probed by a court-led special investigation team to ascertain the circumstances of his death and also attempt to recover and use the footage of his camera to build the sequence of events leading to his death," the EGI said. (PTI)
A delegation of TMC MPs on Tuesday met families of farmers killed in the Lakhimpur violence, claiming that they dodged policemen by posing as tourists.
The TMC delegation comprised MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sushmita Dev, Abir Ranjan Biswas, Pratima Mondal and Dola Sen. While on their way, the UP Police tried to stop them, the TMC leaders claimed in a statement. They posed as tourists on being stopped by police, claimed the MPs of the Mamata Banerjee-led party.
Dola Sen said they were trying to reach Lakhimpur Kheri since Sunday and they could reach there two days later.
Dastidar and Dev went to Palia tehsil of the district to meet the kin of Lavpreet Singh (19) while others travelled to Dhaurahra tehsil to meet relatives of Nachatar Singh. Both were cremated during the day at their native places.
Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev, who recently switched over to the TMC from the Congress, said, 'Heartbreaking to meet the family of the young farmer who was crushed to death in Lakhimpur Kheri.'
'AITC chairperson Mamata Banerjee stands with the farmers to repeal the black laws and stop these brutal injustices. She fought in Singur and assured to continue fighting for farmers of India,' the MP added. (PTI)
Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra alias Monu was sitting in the car that mowed down protesting farmers and he also opened fire at them, according to an FIR lodged by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
According to the first information report (FIR) lodged on a complaint of Jagjit Singh, a native of Bahraich district, the episode was "premeditated" for which the "conspiracy was hatched" by the minister and his son.
It also alleged that "provocative" statements of the Union minister of state for home had led to the farmers' protest here during which violence erupted and claimed the lives of eight people.
The FIR stated that the farmers had gathered at the sports ground of the Maharaja Agrasen Inter-College on Sunday and they wanted to peacefully show black flags to Mishra and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was visiting Banbirpur.
"Around 3 pm, Ashish Mishra along with 15-20 armed men in three speeding four-wheelers reached the protest spot in Banbirpur. Monu Mishra opened gunfire while he was seated on the left side of his Mahindra Thar, which mowed down the crowd and sped ahead," stated the FIR seen by PTI.
"Because of the firing, farmer Gurvinder Singh, son of Sukhwinder, resident of Matronia in Nanpara, died. The numbers of the speeding vehicles which cruelly crushed the farmers standing on both sides of the roads are UP 31 AS 1000 and UP 32 KM 0036, while the third vehicle (whose number is not confirmed) was a Mahindra Scorpio," it added. (PTI)
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addresses party workers gathered outside a guest house in Sitapur, where she is being held, through phone call. She says, "We will continue this struggle till the MoS Home does not resign, come what may."
A letter was sent to the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a high-level judicial inquiry, involving the CBI, under the supervision of the apex court into the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which eight people were killed as violence erupted during a farmers' protest.
The letter by two advocates has urged Chief Justice of India N V Ramana to treat it as public interest litigation (PIL) so that guilty could be “brought to justice”.
It has also sought direction to the Home Ministry and the police to register an FIR in the case and punish those allegedly involved in the incident.
The letter, written by advocates Shiv Kumar Tripathi and C S Panda, has sought direction seeking the institution of a high-level judicial inquiry under the supervision of this court, involving CBI within a stipulated time.
It said having regard to the seriousness of the killing of farmers, it is incumbent upon the apex court to intervene in the matter. (PTI)
Congress in-charge for Maharashtra H K Patil on Tuesday condemned the Lakhimpur Kheri violence saying the Congress will not allow India to turn into a "police raj".
"Lakhimpur Kheri incident is a heinous crime against peacefully protesting farmers. In fact, it is a crime against humanity. Instead of withdrawing the draconian anti-farm laws, the government is killing farmers through their political followers and their kin," Patil alleged.
He said Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior leaders were arrested by the police who prevented them from meeting the family members of the victims of the Lakhimpur violence.
"We strongly condemn the police raj culture and we won't allow this country to turn into police raj at any cost," he said. (PTI)
Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday claimed that the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri of Uttar Pradesh that left eight people dead and the post-poll brutality in West Bengal cannot be compared as the former is an accident and the latter planned.
Rijiju, a BJP leader, also alleged that the government machinery is not doing its job in West Bengal while the ruling Trinamool Congress has taken the law and order in its hands after winning the assembly elections held earlier this year.
"What happened in UP is an accident and the state government will take action. But in West Bengal, it is planned violence carried out by the ruling party. They cannot be compared," the Union law minister told a press conference at Siliguri in north Bengal. (PTI)
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spoke to the kin of farmers and the journalist killed in the Lakhimpur violence over the phone from the Sitapur guest house, where she has been detained, a party leader said on Tuesday.
Congress leader Lalan Kumar said she talked to the kin of farmers Lavpreet Singh, Nakshatra Singh and journalist Rajast Kahsyap, extending her condolences. Congress workers had gone to villages of the farmers to ensure that she talks to the victim families, he said.
Priyanka, however, is firm on her resolve to reach Lakhimpur Kheri and meet the bereaved families personally, he said.
Kumar said Congress workers have been continuously staging protests against Priyanka's detention, demanding justice for the dead farmers and the arrest of Union minister Ajay Mishra's son.
Party workers have been staging protests in Sitapur and other places to press for these demands and also held a "mashal protest" in Sitapur, Kumar said. (PTI)
The violence at Lakhimpur Kheri, which claimed eight lives after some farmers were allegedly mowed down by vehicles driven by BJP workers, has triggered angry reactions from leaders across party lines. Read more on what different leaders have said on the events at Lakhimpur Kheri.
A five-member Congress delegation led by Rahul Gandhi will visit Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi, Deepender Singh Hooda, UP Congress state president Ajay Kumar Lallu and party MLC Deepak Singh were arrested after they had been stopped on their way to Lakhimpur Kheri. (ANI)
Political faultlines sharpened and the blame game accentuated on Tuesday following the Lakhimpur Kheri incident—where eight people died after a car owned by Union MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni allegedly ran over protesting farmers, triggering a clash— with senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi being arrested and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel being reportedly stopped from leaving the Lucknow airport. Read more
“I met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to repeal the three farm laws. I also asked him to seal the international border with Punjab to curb trafficking of drugs and weapons,” said Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi.
He added, “I also told him that we'll not tolerate barbaric killings in UP (Lakhimpur Kheri). This system of arresting our leaders should stop. I requested him to open the Kartarpur Corridor at earliest. He ensured me that Govt will take decision very soon.” (ANI)
A group of farmers blocked the New Delhi-Amritsar national highway in Kurukshetra district of Haryana for several hours, alleging failure on part of the state government to procure paddy. The road blockade, which began at Pipli around 2 pm, caused inconvenience to commuters.
Hundreds of farmers squatted on both carriageways of the national highway. They alleged that though the Haryana government had announced starting the purchase of paddy from October 3, a huge quantity of the crop was lying outside mandis to be procured. Long queues of vehicles could be seen on both sides of the road despite the police diverting traffic through village roads. Commuters stuck in the traffic jam had a harrowing time.
The traffic on the Ambala-Hissar road was also blocked by farmers at Ismailabad and Pehowa. Passengers, especially those travelling by buses, suffered the most. Sunita Devi, travelling from Delhi to Chandigarh in a bus, said her children were exhausted because of the traffic jam. (PTI)
Demanding that the Centre should not allow any delay in proceeding against the murderers of innocent farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri, the SAD on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “immediately” repeal the three farm laws.
Addressing the media after an emergency meeting of the party’s core committee here, SAD president Sukhbir Badal said, “PM should immediately withdraw these black laws, else who knows how many more lives will be lost? A total of 700 farmers have already died, but Centre did not budge from its stand.” Read more
The mortal remains of three of the farmers, who were mowed down by a vehicle during a protest in Lakhimpur Kheri, were cremated at their native places on Tuesday, while the family of the fourth one demanded a second post-mortem.
Bahraich Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Ashok Kumar said that "a decision on the demand for a second post mortem could be taken only by senior officials".
Among the farmers killed in the Sunday incident, two each were from Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich and the bodies were handed over to their families after a post mortem on Monday.
The families of Lavpreet Singh (19), Nachattar Singh (65)and Daljeet Singh (42) agreed to the cremation after hours of negotiations involving police officials and farmer leader Rakesh Tikait.
Tikait was present when Satnam Singh performed the last rites of his son Lavpreet Singh in the family's agricultural field in Palia tehsil in Lakhimpur Kheri late in the afternoon.
But the family of Gurvinder Singh (22) of Matera tehsil refused to cremate him till a second autopsy is done and alleged that he was shot dead.
"We don't want to conduct his last rites after a false post-mortem report," a relative said. (PTI)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Lakhimpur Kheri and meet the family members of the farmers who were killed in the recent violence there.
In a letter, the AAP leader also urged the prime minister to take along with him leaders of all political parties.
"I would urge you with folded hands that in this great hour of grief and sorrow, you should change your intention of organising any festival and visit Lakhimpur Kheri with the leaders of all the parties to meet family members of the farmers who were brutally crushed under the car of your minister and murdered for no reason," Singh said in his letter.
"Sitting among those families, you should repent, apologise, sack your minister immediately, arrest the culprits and, being the head of the council of ministers, take the responsibility for this incident... Not only UP but the whole country is also immersed in mourning and shock, how can you celebrate a festival," he questioned Modi. (PTI)
The Congress Tuesday dubbed as "paper work" the probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence and asked why the son of a union minister accused of mowing down farmers has not been arrested yet and the minister dismissed.
Congress leader and former law minister Ashwani Kumar also asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not meet the families of the eight people who died in the Lakhimpur incident even though he was in Lucknow Tuesday for an 'Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav' event.
Kumar also questioned the detention of leaders like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who, he said, sought to share the grief of the affected families. Kumar said human life cannot be measured in monetary terms after the government announced a compensation of Rs 45 lakh each to the affected families. He also dismissed the "compromise" reached between the farmers and authorities.
"We feel only paper work has been done to try and suppress the anger of people. But this anger cannot be suppressed and history is witness to this," he told reporters.
"The prime minister is in Lucknow today. It was only to be expected that when a tragedy of such colossal nature has taken place, he meets the aggrieved families and the families of those who have lost their lives. But that has not happened," Kumar said. (PTI)
Sachin Pilot condemns Priyanka Gandhi’s arrest.
While referring to Bhupesh Baghel being reportedly stopped at the Lucknow airport, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh says, “When 26/11 happened in Mumbai the Gujarat CM wasn’t stopped from addressing the media in Mumbai itself, during an extremely sensitive time. Have the PM and Mr. Ajay Mohan Bisht forgotten this?”
“Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wanted to visit Lakhimpur Kheri but as Section 144 of CrPC was imposed in the district, the administration has stopped the entry of political leaders. We had to stop Priyanka in Sitapur,” says Sitapur DM Vishal Bhardwaj. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday asserted that the revocation of the three farm laws brought by the Centre, in toto, will alone lead to harmony in the country, as he condemned the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, in which eight people were killed and demanded a judicial enquiry against those responsible for it.
The Chief Minister claimed that there has been violence since the Sunday incident. "Farmers have been protesting for the last 300 days against the farm legislations and the ongoing events in Uttar Pradesh are the result of the Centre's indifference to the ryots' demands," he said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who was on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri to know about the tumultuous situation was detained, as was former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for a brief while at his house before being arrested and suddenly released, Stalin, also the DMK president, said in a party statement here.
"A judicial enquiry should be ordered against those responsible for the violence. The Central government must realise that complete repeal of the three farm laws alone will lead to normalcy and total peace," Stalin said. (PTI)
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi Before the meeting, he said, "Priyanka Gandhi has been arrested, and so it's necessary to meet Rahul Gandhi. If the law is equal for everyone, then why is Priyanka in jail and the accused roaming free?” (ANI)
Kerala Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, while referring to Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel being reportedly stopped at Lucknow airport, says, “If a Chief Minister of state of India is not permitted to visit another state then it raises a grave concern on our existing democracy.”
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday said he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the evening and will raise with him the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
Channi, who along with some ministers and Congress legislators held a silent protest at Gandhi Smarak Bhawan here, said the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri reminds him of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh tragedy. (PTI)
A group of Delhi University students held a protest march in the varsity's north campus area against violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.
The Left-affiliated All India Students' Association (AISA) along with other organisations held the protest march from Vijay Nagar to Arts faculty on Monday.
"Students gathered in Vijay Nagar, and despite heavy resistance from Delhi Police, carried on to Arts Faculty. Students from various areas residing near the north campus joined the march, raising slogans and the demand for immediate arrest of Ashish Mishra and resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath," a statement said.
The march culminated at the Arts Faculty "with a collective decision to embolden and expand the horizons of student-farmer-worker solidarity", the statement said. (PTI)
With opposition leaders prevented from going to Lakhimpur Kheri, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday called for joint action by political parties against this "oppression" and will meet Rahul Gandhi in this regard.
"Lakhimpur Kheri violence has shaken the nation, Priyanka Gandhi has been arrested by the UP government, opposition leaders are being restricted from meeting farmers. There is a need for joint opposition action against oppression by the Government in UP," Raut tweeted. (PTI)
A 28-year-old journalist was among the eight people killed in the violence that erupted during a farmers' protest at Lakhimpur Kheri.
Local journalists have demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the family of Raman Kashyap, who worked with a private TV channel. They have also demanded a job for his wife and immediate arrest of the accused in the case.
Kashyap was a resident of Nighasan tehsil of the Lakhimpur Kheri district. Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra's village, Banbirpur, falls under this tehsil. Kashyap's family said he is survived by his wife and two children, a son and a daughter.
The locals journalists held a dharna in Nighasan on Monday over his death in which his father, Ram Dulare, was also present.
Dulare said that his son was covering the farmers' protest on Sunday when he was hit by a vehicle and got grievously injured. The journalist could not be traced for a while after the event and was admitted to the district hospital late on Sunday night.
He succumbed to his injuries on Monday and his body was identified by his father later. (PTI)
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hit out at BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday over the killing of farmers in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri, saying democracy was under "threat" in the country.
Addressing a dharna at the Rajasthan Congress Pradesh Committee (PCC) office here against the Lakhimpur violence and detention of party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Gehlot said the video of the incident shared by Gandhi is sufficient to substantiate the allegation and no other evidence is needed.
"The situation is dreadful. What happened in Lakhimpur Kheri is not a small thing; this has shaken the whole country," Gehlot said.
The senior Congress leader urged the people to come forward as democracy was under "threat" in the country. "The popularity graph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming down and people have understood that there is a difference in his words and actions,” the chief minister said. (PTI)
NCP supremo Sharad Pawar warned the BJP on Tuesday that it will have to pay a heavy price for the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and asserted that the entire opposition is with the farmers.
Describing the violence as an "attack on farmers", Pawar, a former Union Agriculture Minister, said its responsibility lies with the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh and the "people will show them their place."
"Whether it is government at the Centre or in Uttar Pradesh, they are not sensitive at all. The kind of situation that was created in Jallianwala Bagh, we are witnessing a similar situation in Uttar Pradesh. Today or tomorrow, they will have to pay a heavy price for it," he told reporters here, joining the chorus of criticism over the Sunday incident in which eight persons were killed.
Expressing anguish over the deaths, Pawar assured the farmers that the entire opposition is with them and will soon take a call on the future course of action.
"I just want to tell them that they would not succeed in suppressing the farmers' voice. Farmers from the entire country are united and will fight against this misuse of power by those sitting in government," he said. (PTI)
“Punjab Congress will march to Lakhimpur Kheri if Union minister’s son is not arrested by tomorrow,” says Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Pushing for President's rule in Uttar Pradesh, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary on Tuesday said the entire state machinery under the Yogi Adityanath government is trying to suppress the truth of what happened in Lakhimpur Kheri and clamping down on the opposition.
The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president, one of the few leaders to reach the Uttar Pradesh district where eight people, including four farmers, were killed during a farmers' protest on Sunday, said he had to employ “guerrilla tactics” to do so.
“Reaching Lakhimpur was a tough task because Yogi has put the entire government machinery to work towards thwarting the Opposition. There needs to be a separation between the state and the party which is not there in UP, from the district magistrate to state-level officials, police, it seems everyone has taken membership of the BJP," Chaudhary alleged in a phone interview to PTI. (PTI)
Over 24 hours after keeping her at a local guest house, the Sitapur police on Tuesday arrested Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and at least 10 others, to “prevent the commission of cognizable offences”.
Priyanka had been stopped on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri, where eight people died after a car owned by Union MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni allegedly ran over protesting farmers, triggering a clash.
“Total 11 persons have been arrested by us. On Monday around 4.30 am, Priyanka ji was stopped while on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri. We told her that you should not go there as the situation is not fine and section 144 CrPC is in effect. She did not listen to us and in proper security presence, we had to take her to a local guest house,” said Hargaon station house officer (SHO) Brijesh Kumar Tripathi, adding that further course of action will be decided by senior officials. Read more
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi leaves from Chandigarh for New Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Before leaving, he says, “These three farm laws should be repealed at the earliest and incidents like this (Lakhimpur Kheri) need to be stopped. I will discuss this issue with him (Union Home Minister Amit Shah) in today's meeting.” (ANI)
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was prevented from coming out of Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport Tuesday when he arrived to visit the state Congress office and meet party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Baghel sat on a dharna at the airport after being disallowed to go to the Uttar Pradesh Congress office amid widespread protest over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. "I am being stopped from going out of Lucknow airport without any orders," he wrote in a tweet with a photo of him sitting on the floor at the airport.
The Chhattisgarh chief minister reasoned with the police on duty as to why he was being stopped but to no avail, a Congress spokesman said. "Why am I being stopped? I am not going to Lakhimpur where there are prohibitory orders in place. I am only going to PCC (Congress office)," he asked the police personnel.
Talking to mediapersons at the airport, Baghel said he does not plan to go to Lakhimpur Kheri but to the Congress office where he was scheduled to address a press conference later in the day. Baghel also said he has come to meet party national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who is currently in custody at Sitapur. (PTI)
“We don't trust that BJP govt will bring culprit/s to justice. We appeal to farmers to throw this govt out of power. Videos and people at the spot indicated involvement of the son of MoS Home (Ajay Mishra Teni) along with others,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav tells ANI.
He adds, “Their vehicles hit the farmers which led to their death. If he (Ajay Mishra Teni) is still a minister, how the police will enter his house? He must resign and accused must be arrested.” (ANI)
“We aren't aware of how incident happened. It is visible in the video that the driver was killed after being pulled out of car. If it were my son, he'd have been dead. It's impossible to get out of a place where car ran over people amid gathering of thousands,” says MoS Ajay Mishra.
He adds, “We have evidence to prove that neither I nor my son were present at the spot. We are ready to face any investigating agency. Culprits, who have planned this incident won't be spared.” (ANI)
Congress MP Deepender Hooda says, “While those who trampled upon farmers walk free, we have been in police custody for 36 hours. Farmer families are in mourning, but Lucknow is witnessing a celebration. I want to ask my countrymen, will you support the oppressor or fight for the oppressed.”
“We want that a sitting SC judge should investigate Lakhimpur incident instead of a retired HC judge so that truth can come out. Govt is suppressing farmers' voices but they will not succeed. We're with farmers & will take every step to solve their problems,” says NCP chief Sharad Pawar. (ANI)
“Mandis hasn't yet started paddy procurement. All terms and conditions including the cap of 25 quintals should be removed. Govt should start procurement from today onwards otherwise from tomorrow we request farmers to gherao the political leaders,” says Haryana BKU chief Gurnam S Chaduni. (ANI)
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Ghulam Ahmad Mir was briefly detained by police here on Tuesday as the party took out a protest march against the detention of Priyanka Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh.
Gandhi was detained on Monday in Sitapur in UP while on her way to Lakhimpur where eight people were killed in violence on Sunday.
Four of the dead were farmers allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. As part of the country-wide protests against the detention of the party general secretary, scores of Congress leaders and activists, led by the JKPCC president, tried to take out a protest march from the party office at M A Road here.
However, as soon as the protesters reached M A Road, police swung into action and tried to disperse them, officials said. They said the police detained Mir and took him to police station Kothibagh here. Mir was released after a brief detention. (PTI)
Coming out in support of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former J&K chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti says, "We are a democracy on paper but clearly the grim descent into a banana replublic has begun."
Former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram says Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's detention is "totally illegal", and that it has "conclusively" established there is no rule of law in Uttar Pradesh.
"The arresting police officer told her she was arrested under Section 151 of the CrPC. Any person arrested under S. 151 cannot be detained for more than 24 hours, unless there is an order of the judicial magistrate under any other provision of law," he said. "There is no order of any judicial magistrate. Her constitutional rights under Articles 19 and 21 have been grossly violated. Her 'arrest' violated several provisions of the CrPC," he added. -- PTI
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra tweets on the "deathly silence" from PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the farmers' deaths.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has tweeted a video of his interaction with the police at Lucknow airport. Baghel is heard telling the police he is 'not going to Lakhimpur Kheri'. Despite this, the police have barred him from leaving the airport.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has said he has been stopped from leaving the Lucknow airport. Tweeting the picture (below), Baghel said he's been barred from leaving the airport without any orders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in Lucknow for a conference-cum-expo.
Speaking to a news channel, the family of one of the farmers killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, Lovepreet Singh, stated that they will not cremate the body till they are given the autopsy report and a copy of the FIR against MoS Ajay Mishra's son.
The victim's father alleged that the administration was trying to "cover up" the incident and no action had been taken against the person responsible.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the 'Azadi@75-New Urban India: Transforming Urban Landscape' Expo at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow. Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Hardeep Singh Puri, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are among the dignitaries present. (PTI Photo)
A day after BJP MP Varun Gandhi said using "pejorative and demeaning" language against the "struggling farmers" is "unfair and cruel" and that it could lead to "further reaction among the people who at the moment are very peaceful", he tweeted a video of a convoy of three SUVs hitting a group of farmer protesters.
He said the police should take cognisance of the video -- which is now going viral on social media -- and arrest the drivers.
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Congress workers are protesting Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's detention in Sitapur. She was detained on Monday while trying to travel to Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the families of the farmers who died in the violence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in Lucknow, where he is inaugurating 'Azadi@75 - New Urban India: Transforming Urban Landscape', a conference-cum-expo. He is in Uttar Pradesh two days after the violence at Lakhimpur Kheri unfolded.
Ahead of his visit, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked whether he would visit the farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has commented on the detention of the party's general secretary, and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, saying she is "fearless" and a "true Congressi" who won't accept defeat.
As the Yogi Adityanath government scrambled on Monday to resolve the Lakhimpur Kheri standoff, there was buzz that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s programme in Lucknow on October 5 could be on the state leadership’s mind – so that the issue does not overshadow the event. While the UP government did not allow politicians to travel to the district, farmer leaders were allowed to visit the area. The way state officials swiftly agreed to the demands of the protesting farmers, many in Delhi’s power corridors believe that the PM’s Lucknow schedule was a key factor behind it. The PM is scheduled to inaugurate “Azadi@75 – New Urban India: Transforming Urban Landscape” conference-cum-expo and digitally hand over keys of houses built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban to 75,000 beneficiaries in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Read Delhi Confidential
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has tweeted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying she has been in detention for the past 28 hours with no order or FIR filed against her. In her tweet, she posted a video of the incident in Lakhimpur Kheri, and asked the Prime Minister why the person driving the SUV through a group of protesting farmers was yet to be arrested.
Disclaimer: Graphic video
Here are some pictures from Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday, the day after four farmers were among eight persons killed after a convoy of three SUVs, including one owned by Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, hit a group of farmer protesters leading to a clash. Farmers from the state, and Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand arrived at the site of the incident in Tikunia in large numbers throughout Monday.
The four farmer protesters killed in Lakhimpur Kheri of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday had Punjabi names — Lovepreet Singh, Daljeet Singh, Nachattar Singh and Gurvinder Singh. This may have come as a surprise to some, but Punjabis have settled in UP and Uttarakhand since Partition.
Despite their long association with the land that they have tamed and cultivated, they are sometimes stereotyped as “outsiders”, especially when trouble breaks out, explains Kamaldeep Singh Brar. A look at post-Partition migration, and the Sikhs in UP.
Besides the four farm protesters who were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri -- Gurvinder Singh (18), Diljeet Singh (35), Nachhattar Singh (55) and Lovepreet Singh (19) -- among the four others who died in clashes were two local BJP leaders, a journalist and a driver employed by Ashish Mishra. Asad Rehman speaks to their families
The local intelligence unit of Uttar Pradesh Police had warned the Lakhimpur Kheri district administration and senior police officials about the farmers’ planned protest on Sunday during a visit of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, sources told The Indian Express on Monday.
The police said the protesting farmers, who have been demonstrating against three central agrarian laws for over a year, were irked about Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra’s week-old statement challenging them. Read more
The deaths in Lakhimpur Kheri are giving the BJP some anxious moments ahead of the coming Assembly elections in a district where it had swept all the eight seats in the 2017 state polls. The BJP fears the spillover effect of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence will also be felt in bordering districts such as Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Sitapur and Bahraich, where too the party had made impressive gains in 2017. Of the 42 Assembly seats in these six districts, the BJP had won 37. Read Lalmani Verma's report
The Haryana Police “rescued” Hisar BJP MLA Kamal Gupta who was allegedly gheraoed by agitating farmers in the town for nearly 30 minutes. He was gheraoed at the meeting of the farmers at the government guest house Monday evening. A staffer of the MLA, accompanying the legislator, alleged that Gupta was “roughed up and made hostage” by the agitators while the latter claimed that Gupta “manhandled them after trying to instigate them.”
The protesting farmers were holding a meeting at Hisar’s PWD Guest House to decide their next strategy after four farmers were among eight killed by a convoy of SUVs, including one owned by Union MoS, at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh. Read more
Lashing out at the BJP governments at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh over the death of the farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed "autocracy" is prevailing in the country while "killing Raj" is going on in UP."What is going on in the country is not democracy but autocracy. Farmers were brutally butchered, and they (BJP) didn't want the truth to come out. That is why they have imposed Section 144 (CrPC) there. People will impose Section 144 on them in the days to come. They are stopping delegations from visiting the locals there," news agency PTI quoted her as saying after her visit to a Gurudwara in Bhabanipur constituency. "Killing Raj is going on, instead of Ram Rajya as promised by them (the state govt)," she reiterated.