Lakhimpur Kheri/Lucknow (UP): In Lakhimpur Kheri, eight people were killed on Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers' protest ahead of a visit by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. Two SUVs were set on fire by angry farmers in the clash near Banbirpur.
Farmer leaders have alleged that protesters were run over by a convoy of vehicles associated with the son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and BJP MP Ajay Kumar Mishra. They claimed that the son of Union Minister was in one of the cars.
According to the Bharatiya Kisan Union, several farmers have lost their lives in the incident, and farmers leader Tajinder Singh Virk was also left injured.
Four of the victims were people in the cars — reportedly a part of the group of BJP workers that had come to welcome the minister who were thrashed to death by the protesters while the four others were farmers, according to officials. Several people were hospitalised, according to the two sides.
The violence triggered outbursts with opposition parties blaming the state government for the farmers' deaths. Within hours, it turned into a rallying point for the opposition in the state which is gearing up for the assembly polls early next year.
BKU leader Tikait has demanded Mishra's dismissal and the registration of a case of murder against his son and other goons.
The farmers' unions have also announced a protest at district magistrates' offices across the country on Monday.
Tikait claimed that the farmers were attacked while they were returning from the Lakhimpur protest. Some of them were run over and they were also fired upon, he alleged in a video clip. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav blamed the Union minister's son for the violence, and said the farmers were protesting peacefully. UP will not tolerate the oppression by the BJP, he tweeted in Hindi.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was headed to Lakhimpur on Sunday night. So were Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary and Bharatiya Kisan Union's Rakesh Tikait.
Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is a Congress observer for the state elections, said he will also visit Lakhimpur.
TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee criticized the violence and said that five TMC MPs will visit the families of victims on Monday.
"I strongly condemn the barbaric incident in Lakhimpur Kheri. The apathy of @BJP4India towards our farmer brethren pains me deeply. A delegation of 5 @AITCofficial MPs will be visiting the families of the victims tomorrow. Our farmers will always have our unconditional support," she tweeted.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded a CBI probe. Delhi chief minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal demanded that the perpetrators of "such a heinous crime" be given "strictest punishment".
NCP president Sharad Pawar criticized the violence and said it was a barbaric way of silencing their voices.
"Barbaric way of silencing the voices of our Kisans. I strongly condemn the incident at Lakhimpur Kheri Uttar Pradesh," Pawar, a former Union agriculture minister, tweeted.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi condemned the incident. Other political parties in Punjab too demanded the registration of a case against those who "crushed farmers to death".
In Lakhimpur, police said in the evening that the law and order situation was under control.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of life and said the state government will probe the incident, unmask the elements involved and take stringent action against the guilty.
A state government official said farmers waved black flags as the cavalcade passed. At its rear end, a vehicle overturned collapsing over two farmers who were killed.
Four people were then pulled out of the vehicles and beaten to death, officials said. Union minister Mishra said that these victims were three BJP workers and a driver, beaten to death by "some elements" among the protesting
farmers.
The car turned turtle after the protesters pelted stones at the cavalcade, he said.
Mishra said he and his son were not present at the spot as alleged by some farmer leaders and he has photo and video evidence to prove it.
"My son was present at the venue of the (deputy chief minister's) event and thousands of people, officers of the administration and police were present there. All through, I was accompanying the deputy chief minister, he said.
"One of the vehicles which were set afire was ours. The second vehicle was that of our worker, which was also torched. My driver was murdered," Mishra told a tv channel.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha identified the four dead farmers as Lovepreet Singh (20), Daljeet Singh (35), Nachattar Singh (60) and Gurvinder Singh (19).
There are around 12 to 15 persons injured and hospitalised, the farmers' group said in a statement in the evening. The Union minister said about 10 BJP workers were injured and several cars damaged.