Four farmers were among eight persons killed in violent clashes in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri. (PTI Photos)The mortal remains of three of the farmers, who were mowed down by a vehicle during a protest in Lakhimpur Kheri, were cremated at their native places on Tuesday, while the family of the fourth one demanded a second post-mortem. Bahraich Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Ashok Kumar was quoted as saying by PTI, “A decision on the demand for a second post mortem could be taken only by senior officials.”
The families of Lavpreet Singh (19), Nachattar Singh (65) and Daljeet Singh (42) agreed to the cremation after hours of negotiations involving police officials and farmer leader Rakesh Tikait. But the family of Gurvinder Singh (22) of Matera tehsil refused to cremate him till a second autopsy is done and alleged that he was shot dead.
Meanwhile, with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi being arrested and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel being reportedly stopped at the Lucknow airport, Congress leaders slammed BJP over the crisis on Tuesday, with Rajasthan CM saying that ‘democracy is under threat’ and Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi stating that the Lakhimpur Kheri incident reminded him of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy.
Addressing a dharna at the Rajasthan Congress Pradesh Committee (PCC) office here against the Lakhimpur violence, Gehlot further said, “The situation is dreadful. What happened in Lakhimpur Kheri is not a small thing; this has shaken the whole country,” Gehlot said. Meanwhile, Channi said he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the evening and will raise with him the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. Channi, who along with some ministers and Congress legislators held a silent protest at Gandhi Smarak Bhawan here, said the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri reminds him of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh tragedy.
Earlier, the Sitapur police on Tuesday arrested Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and at least 10 others, to “prevent the commission of cognizable offences”. Other than Priyanka Gandhi, those arrested include Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda, UP Congress state president Ajay Kumar Lallu and party MLC Deepak Singh. The arrest has been made under section 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) of the CrPC.
The death of TV journalist Raman Kashyap in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence is shocking and raises many questions, the Editors Guild of India (EGI) said on Tuesday and demanded that a separate probe should be conducted by a court-led special investigation team to ascertain the circumstances under which he died.
In a statement, the Guild noted that there are "competing versions" coming in the media about the death of Kashyap with one version claiming that he died of bullet wounds. "EGI is shocked by the death of Raman Kashyap... He was killed along with eight others in the violence that erupted after some vehicles were driven through the protesting farmers allegedly under the instructions of Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister of state, Ajay Kumar Mishra," the EGI said.
"In what is clearly a terror attack meant to spread fear amongst the farmers, the killing of Kashyap raises many questions. There are competing versions about Kashyap's death including a version that claims he died of bullet wounds," it added.
"The Editors Guild demands that the death of Kashyap be separately probed by a court-led special investigation team to ascertain the circumstances of his death and also attempt to recover and use the footage of his camera to build the sequence of events leading to his death," the EGI said. (PTI)
A delegation of TMC MPs on Tuesday met families of farmers killed in the Lakhimpur violence, claiming that they dodged policemen by posing as tourists.
The TMC delegation comprised MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sushmita Dev, Abir Ranjan Biswas, Pratima Mondal and Dola Sen. While on their way, the UP Police tried to stop them, the TMC leaders claimed in a statement. They posed as tourists on being stopped by police, claimed the MPs of the Mamata Banerjee-led party.
Dola Sen said they were trying to reach Lakhimpur Kheri since Sunday and they could reach there two days later.
Dastidar and Dev went to Palia tehsil of the district to meet the kin of Lavpreet Singh (19) while others travelled to Dhaurahra tehsil to meet relatives of Nachatar Singh. Both were cremated during the day at their native places.
Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev, who recently switched over to the TMC from the Congress, said, 'Heartbreaking to meet the family of the young farmer who was crushed to death in Lakhimpur Kheri.'
'AITC chairperson Mamata Banerjee stands with the farmers to repeal the black laws and stop these brutal injustices. She fought in Singur and assured to continue fighting for farmers of India,' the MP added. (PTI)
Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra alias Monu was sitting in the car that mowed down protesting farmers and he also opened fire at them, according to an FIR lodged by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
According to the first information report (FIR) lodged on a complaint of Jagjit Singh, a native of Bahraich district, the episode was "premeditated" for which the "conspiracy was hatched" by the minister and his son.
It also alleged that "provocative" statements of the Union minister of state for home had led to the farmers' protest here during which violence erupted and claimed the lives of eight people.
The FIR stated that the farmers had gathered at the sports ground of the Maharaja Agrasen Inter-College on Sunday and they wanted to peacefully show black flags to Mishra and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was visiting Banbirpur.
"Around 3 pm, Ashish Mishra along with 15-20 armed men in three speeding four-wheelers reached the protest spot in Banbirpur. Monu Mishra opened gunfire while he was seated on the left side of his Mahindra Thar, which mowed down the crowd and sped ahead," stated the FIR seen by PTI.
"Because of the firing, farmer Gurvinder Singh, son of Sukhwinder, resident of Matronia in Nanpara, died. The numbers of the speeding vehicles which cruelly crushed the farmers standing on both sides of the roads are UP 31 AS 1000 and UP 32 KM 0036, while the third vehicle (whose number is not confirmed) was a Mahindra Scorpio," it added. (PTI)
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addresses party workers gathered outside a guest house in Sitapur, where she is being held, through phone call. She says, "We will continue this struggle till the MoS Home does not resign, come what may."
A letter was sent to the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a high-level judicial inquiry, involving the CBI, under the supervision of the apex court into the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which eight people were killed as violence erupted during a farmers' protest.
The letter by two advocates has urged Chief Justice of India N V Ramana to treat it as public interest litigation (PIL) so that guilty could be “brought to justice”.
It has also sought direction to the Home Ministry and the police to register an FIR in the case and punish those allegedly involved in the incident.
The letter, written by advocates Shiv Kumar Tripathi and C S Panda, has sought direction seeking the institution of a high-level judicial inquiry under the supervision of this court, involving CBI within a stipulated time.
It said having regard to the seriousness of the killing of farmers, it is incumbent upon the apex court to intervene in the matter. (PTI)
Congress in-charge for Maharashtra H K Patil on Tuesday condemned the Lakhimpur Kheri violence saying the Congress will not allow India to turn into a "police raj".
"Lakhimpur Kheri incident is a heinous crime against peacefully protesting farmers. In fact, it is a crime against humanity. Instead of withdrawing the draconian anti-farm laws, the government is killing farmers through their political followers and their kin," Patil alleged.
He said Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior leaders were arrested by the police who prevented them from meeting the family members of the victims of the Lakhimpur violence.
"We strongly condemn the police raj culture and we won't allow this country to turn into police raj at any cost," he said. (PTI)
Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday claimed that the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri of Uttar Pradesh that left eight people dead and the post-poll brutality in West Bengal cannot be compared as the former is an accident and the latter planned.
Rijiju, a BJP leader, also alleged that the government machinery is not doing its job in West Bengal while the ruling Trinamool Congress has taken the law and order in its hands after winning the assembly elections held earlier this year.
"What happened in UP is an accident and the state government will take action. But in West Bengal, it is planned violence carried out by the ruling party. They cannot be compared," the Union law minister told a press conference at Siliguri in north Bengal. (PTI)
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spoke to the kin of farmers and the journalist killed in the Lakhimpur violence over the phone from the Sitapur guest house, where she has been detained, a party leader said on Tuesday.
Congress leader Lalan Kumar said she talked to the kin of farmers Lavpreet Singh, Nakshatra Singh and journalist Rajast Kahsyap, extending her condolences. Congress workers had gone to villages of the farmers to ensure that she talks to the victim families, he said.
Priyanka, however, is firm on her resolve to reach Lakhimpur Kheri and meet the bereaved families personally, he said.
Kumar said Congress workers have been continuously staging protests against Priyanka's detention, demanding justice for the dead farmers and the arrest of Union minister Ajay Mishra's son.
Party workers have been staging protests in Sitapur and other places to press for these demands and also held a "mashal protest" in Sitapur, Kumar said. (PTI)
The violence at Lakhimpur Kheri, which claimed eight lives after some farmers were allegedly mowed down by vehicles driven by BJP workers, has triggered angry reactions from leaders across party lines. Read more on what different leaders have said on the events at Lakhimpur Kheri.
A five-member Congress delegation led by Rahul Gandhi will visit Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi, Deepender Singh Hooda, UP Congress state president Ajay Kumar Lallu and party MLC Deepak Singh were arrested after they had been stopped on their way to Lakhimpur Kheri. (ANI)
Political faultlines sharpened and the blame game accentuated on Tuesday following the Lakhimpur Kheri incident—where eight people died after a car owned by Union MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni allegedly ran over protesting farmers, triggering a clash— with senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi being arrested and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel being reportedly stopped from leaving the Lucknow airport. Read more
“I met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to repeal the three farm laws. I also asked him to seal the international border with Punjab to curb trafficking of drugs and weapons,” said Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi.
He added, “I also told him that we'll not tolerate barbaric killings in UP (Lakhimpur Kheri). This system of arresting our leaders should stop. I requested him to open the Kartarpur Corridor at earliest. He ensured me that Govt will take decision very soon.” (ANI)
A group of farmers blocked the New Delhi-Amritsar national highway in Kurukshetra district of Haryana for several hours, alleging failure on part of the state government to procure paddy. The road blockade, which began at Pipli around 2 pm, caused inconvenience to commuters.
Hundreds of farmers squatted on both carriageways of the national highway. They alleged that though the Haryana government had announced starting the purchase of paddy from October 3, a huge quantity of the crop was lying outside mandis to be procured. Long queues of vehicles could be seen on both sides of the road despite the police diverting traffic through village roads. Commuters stuck in the traffic jam had a harrowing time.
The traffic on the Ambala-Hissar road was also blocked by farmers at Ismailabad and Pehowa. Passengers, especially those travelling by buses, suffered the most. Sunita Devi, travelling from Delhi to Chandigarh in a bus, said her children were exhausted because of the traffic jam. (PTI)
Demanding that the Centre should not allow any delay in proceeding against the murderers of innocent farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri, the SAD on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “immediately” repeal the three farm laws.
Addressing the media after an emergency meeting of the party’s core committee here, SAD president Sukhbir Badal said, “PM should immediately withdraw these black laws, else who knows how many more lives will be lost? A total of 700 farmers have already died, but Centre did not budge from its stand.” Read more
The mortal remains of three of the farmers, who were mowed down by a vehicle during a protest in Lakhimpur Kheri, were cremated at their native places on Tuesday, while the family of the fourth one demanded a second post-mortem.
Bahraich Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Ashok Kumar said that "a decision on the demand for a second post mortem could be taken only by senior officials".
Among the farmers killed in the Sunday incident, two each were from Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich and the bodies were handed over to their families after a post mortem on Monday.
The families of Lavpreet Singh (19), Nachattar Singh (65)and Daljeet Singh (42) agreed to the cremation after hours of negotiations involving police officials and farmer leader Rakesh Tikait.
Tikait was present when Satnam Singh performed the last rites of his son Lavpreet Singh in the family's agricultural field in Palia tehsil in Lakhimpur Kheri late in the afternoon.
But the family of Gurvinder Singh (22) of Matera tehsil refused to cremate him till a second autopsy is done and alleged that he was shot dead.
"We don't want to conduct his last rites after a false post-mortem report," a relative said. (PTI)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Lakhimpur Kheri and meet the family members of the farmers who were killed in the recent violence there.
In a letter, the AAP leader also urged the prime minister to take along with him leaders of all political parties.
"I would urge you with folded hands that in this great hour of grief and sorrow, you should change your intention of organising any festival and visit Lakhimpur Kheri with the leaders of all the parties to meet family members of the farmers who were brutally crushed under the car of your minister and murdered for no reason," Singh said in his letter.
"Sitting among those families, you should repent, apologise, sack your minister immediately, arrest the culprits and, being the head of the council of ministers, take the responsibility for this incident... Not only UP but the whole country is also immersed in mourning and shock, how can you celebrate a festival," he questioned Modi. (PTI)
The Congress Tuesday dubbed as "paper work" the probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence and asked why the son of a union minister accused of mowing down farmers has not been arrested yet and the minister dismissed.
Congress leader and former law minister Ashwani Kumar also asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not meet the families of the eight people who died in the Lakhimpur incident even though he was in Lucknow Tuesday for an 'Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav' event.
Kumar also questioned the detention of leaders like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who, he said, sought to share the grief of the affected families. Kumar said human life cannot be measured in monetary terms after the government announced a compensation of Rs 45 lakh each to the affected families. He also dismissed the "compromise" reached between the farmers and authorities.
"We feel only paper work has been done to try and suppress the anger of people. But this anger cannot be suppressed and history is witness to this," he told reporters.
"The prime minister is in Lucknow today. It was only to be expected that when a tragedy of such colossal nature has taken place, he meets the aggrieved families and the families of those who have lost their lives. But that has not happened," Kumar said. (PTI)
Sachin Pilot condemns Priyanka Gandhi’s arrest.
While referring to Bhupesh Baghel being reportedly stopped at the Lucknow airport, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh says, “When 26/11 happened in Mumbai the Gujarat CM wasn’t stopped from addressing the media in Mumbai itself, during an extremely sensitive time. Have the PM and Mr. Ajay Mohan Bisht forgotten this?”
“Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wanted to visit Lakhimpur Kheri but as Section 144 of CrPC was imposed in the district, the administration has stopped the entry of political leaders. We had to stop Priyanka in Sitapur,” says Sitapur DM Vishal Bhardwaj. (ANI)