Farmers Movement Archive

Don't consider those who killed BJP workers in Lakhimpur as culprits: Rakesh Tikait

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday said that he did not consider the killing of the two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri as a crime or those who did it the “culprits” explaining that they simply reacted to the SUV running over protesters.The statement comes in response to the death of eight people in the violence that broke out on October 3 after an SUV,  allegedly belonging to the convoy of Union minister of state for home (MoS) Ajay Mishra, ran over a group of anti-farm law protesters who were demonstrating against the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya at Tikonia-Banbirpur road in Lakhimpur Kheri.A total of four farmers, two BJP workers, a driver and a journalist were killed in the violence. Farmers have claimed that the Union minister's son Ashish Mishra was in the SUV that mowed down the protestors."The killing of two BJP workers in Lakhimpur Kheri after a convoy of cars mowed down four farmers is a reaction to an action. I do not consider those involved in the killings as culprits," Tikait was quoted as saying by PTI, in reply to a question asked during a press conference in Delhi.Tikait and other farmer leaders have demanded that both Union Minister Ajay Mishra and his son be arrested in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, and said the incident was a "pre-planned conspiracy".“Ajay Mishra should also be removed from the government as he started this conspiracy and is also protecting the culprits in the case,” said Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Yogendra Yadav during the press conference.Yadav went on to say that the SKM will on October 15, that is Dusshera, burn the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to protest against their inaction over the violence.

Hindustan Times

09-10-2021

India