About 10,000 farmers from Punjab are scheduled to participate in a 72-hour protest in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri against the Centre starting today. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha initiated the protest to “seek justice” in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
Rai informed that 10,000 farmers from Punjab will participate in the protest. Mr Manjit Singh Rai, president of Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba), stated, “some are going on trains and some on their own vehicles”. The farmers left for Uttar Pradesh the previous day (Wednesday).
The farmers are commanding the dismissal of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra, whose son Ashish was involved and arrested in a case where eight people including four farmers were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri in last October.
However in July this year, the Allahabad High Court refused to provide bail to Ashish Mishra, who was allegedly accused of killing farmers when he was sitting in one of the cars that crushed the farmers to death.
In addition to that, the farmers have also demanded for the withdrawal of cases that were registered against farmers during the year-long protest against the Centre’s now-repealed farm laws.
They also demanded compensation that should be given to families of farmers who lost their lives during the said protest, as well as legal guarantee must be granted for the minimum support price of crops.
However, senior farmer leaders like Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal, and Joginder Singh Ugrahan will also be participating in the three-day protest.
