Farmers Movement Archive

Mission UP: Rakesh Tikait to visit Lakhimpur Kheri for three days from January 21, may stage protest

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait and his supporters will visit Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh for three days from January 21 as part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) Mission UP, the union’s media incharge Dharmendra Malik said on Saturday.Rakesh Tikait will remain there for three days to meet the family members of the victims in the Lakhimpur Kheri case and, if demands are not taken care of, then a “dharna” would be started there, Malik said.He further said farmers will observe “Vishwasghat Diwas (Day of Betrayal)” on January 31 on the call of SKM because the government initiated no action on forming a committee to resolve the MSP (minimum support price) issue, withdrawal of cases against farmers and fulfilling other assurances given to SKM for withdrawal of the farmers’ movement.As far as Lakhimpur Kheri is concerned, farmers’ organisations are demanding the removal of Union minister of state Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni from the Union council of ministers. His son Ashish Mishra, the prime accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri case, faces murder and other charges. A charge sheet has been filed against Ashish Mishra and 13 others in the case in which four farmers and a journalist were mowed down by vehicles in the Tikunia area of Lakhimpur Kheri district on October 3, 2021. In the violence that erupted after the incident, two BJP workers and a driver were also killed the same day. Ashish Mishra has been in jail since October 9, 2021. SKM held a meeting to review the government’s action taken on the assurances given to farmers to end their movement on the Delhi borders on December 9. The farmers had suspended their year-long agitation after three contentious farm laws were repealed.It was also decided to launch a “pakka morcha” against insensitivity of the government in Lakhimpur Kheri case.Malik said, “We have been demanding to sack the minister and arrest him.” He further said that eyewitnesses in the case are bring targeted and made accused in cases in an attempt to harass them.Malik said Rakesh Tikait’s visit to Kheri Lakhimpur Kheri is part of SKM’s Mission UP.

Hindustan Times

15-01-2022

Lucknow