Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers’ death: Cong slams UP CM, JMM questions Modi, Shah silence

Ranchi: The violence at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday followed by detentions and arrests of leaders from the opposition, who were on their way to meet families of the victims, triggered widespread anger and protests in Jharkhand on Monday. In a tweet, chief minister Hemant Soren said, “The heinous incident in #Lakhimpur yesterday is a blot on humanity & a blatant display of majoritarian cruelty by the Ruling Party in UP & at Centre. I strongly condemn their undemocratic attempts to detain all Opposition leaders from meeting the bereaved families of the victims.” Meanwhile, Ruling Congress, other organisations and the Left parties burnt effigies of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP leaders in different parts of the state. JMM, which is leading the alliance government, condemned the violence and questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah on the issue. In Ranchi, the city unit of Congress led by state party president, Rajesh Thakur, organised protests at Albert Ekka Chowk and burnt an effigy of Yogi. Thakur said, “Sunday’s incident is an attempt by the BJP government to trample the protests of farmers against the black agriculture laws of the Narendra Modi government. The Yogi government is completely rattled by the farmers’ protest and has crossed all limits of lawlessness. We also protest against the arrest of our leader Priyanka Gandhi, who was on her way to meet the victims’ families. Both farmers and Congress will fight against this BJP government tooth and nail.” Congress spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan dubbed the incident as “murder of democracy”. He said, “In BJP raj, democracy is being killed every day,” he said. Left parties, too, burnt effigies of Yogi and Union minister of state for home, Ajay Mishra Teni. Notably, Teni and his son, Ashish, are accused of triggering violence. The protesters demanded the removal of Teni from the Modi cabinet with immediate effect and the arrest of the culprits. CPI leader Ajay Singh said, “Hearing of the case must be done under the supervision of the Supreme Court and outside UP.” JMM also lashed out at Modi and Yogi. “Union minister of state for home affairs, Ajay Mishra Teni, is not being removed from his post because BJP wants to bank on the votes of the Brahmin community in the upcoming UP assembly election,” the party’s central general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya claimed. Bhattacharya also criticized the UP chief minister for not allowing the representatives of opposition parties into Lakhimpur Kheri. “While the UP CM has not uttered a word about the issue, Mishra has termed the protesting farmers as terrorists,” he said. JMM had pledged allegiance to the ongoing protests of the farmers against the Centre’s controversial farm laws. “We have sided with the farmer bodies and supported their bandh calls and took part in it. JMM stands firm in support of their demands and will continue to support them,” Bhattacharya added. Violence broke Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday following the death of four farmers after they were rammed by a car allegedly belonging to Teni. His son was said to be driving one of the cars. Both, however, denied the allegations even as the UP police have reportedly booked the minister’s son.

The Times of India

2021-10-05

Ranchi