Farmers Movement Archive

Protests erupt in Jalandhar over Lakhimpur killings

Tribune News ServiceJalandhar, October 4Members of 11 various farmer organisations on Monday held a protest outside the DC office here against the killings of farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri in UP wherein they were mowed down by a car.‘Govt trying to end year-old agitation’The farmers held a dharna outside the DC office and also submitted a memorandum to the DC addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding the strictest of action against the perpetrators of the incident. Farmers indulged in sloganeering outside the DC office from 10 am to 1 pm and also burnt an effigy of the Central and UP governments.Members of the farmer unions — the Kirti Kisan Union, Doaba Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal), Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Lakkhowal), Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal), Bharti Kisan Union (Kadian) and Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba), among others — were present on the occasion.The unions sought the ‘dismissal of the union minister’ whose son’s vehicle mowed down farmers and strict action against culprits of the incident.The letter to the President, by farmer unions under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha umbrella, stated that the killings of farmers in broad daylight with vehicles had angered the nation. They said the attack had been allegedly perpetrated by Union Cabinet minister Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni’s son.The farmers said Mishra had already created the context by issuing insulting and provocative speeches against farmers. They said his statements in conjunction with the Haryana CM’s statements make it evident that the incident was not a mere coincidence.Stating this, the farmers demanded the dismissal of Ajay Kumar Mishra from his post and lodging of a case against him for stoking violence through his speech. They also demanded a case under Section 302, IPC, be filed against the minister’s son and his associates responsible for the incident.They sought the incident should be got investigated by an SIT monitored by the Supreme Court. They also sought the dismissal of Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar for making a provocative speech.Meanwhile, farmers of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee also burnt effigies of the UP and Central governments at various places in the city in protest against the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) under district president Salwinder Singh Jania and Satnam Singh Raiwal held a protest at the Lohian T-point. The farmers also held a protest in front of the Shahkot police station at Mallian village, where they also burnt effigies of the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government as well as the Central Government.Farmers sought strict action against those responsible for the heinous crime. They said the government had been trying to end their year-long agitation. Now it had resorted to ‘intimidate’ farmers and instilling fear in them. They said if the guilty were not brought to book, protests would be intensified.

The Tribune

2021-10-05