- Wednesday, May 01, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE government of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Monday (4) said that a retired judge of the high court will probe the violence that broke out in the state’s Lakhimpur Kheri district on Sunday (3) that resulted in deaths of some, including four farmers.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of the state also said that it would give Rs 45 lakh (£44,435) to the kin of the farmers who were killed in the incident. The government would also give Rs 10 lakh (£9,874) to those who got injured in the violence.
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“An agreement has been reached with the farmers. The government will give ₹45 lakh to the family members of the four farmers who were killed in the violence on Sunday. Besides, one member from their families will be given a government job at the local level,” UP additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Awasthi said.
“The government will give ₹10 lakh to the injured and get the incident probed by a retired High Court judge,” he added.
The violence erupted after a car in a convoy allegedly hit the protesting farmers. The angry crowd retaliated and allegedly thrashed four persons in one of the cars to death. The clash took place ahead of a visit by UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Lakhimpur.
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Meanwhile, a first information report was registered against Ashish Mishra, the son of India’s minister of state for home Ajay Mishra who represents Kheri in the parliament, and several others in connection with the violence. Details of the sections under which they were registered were yet to be known.
Awasthi told Press Trust of India that “FIR has been lodged against several persons including Minister of state for Home, Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra”.
Additional director general of police, law and order, Prashant Kumar, who is in Lakhimpur told PTI, “Two FIRs from both sides have been registered in the matter. Detailed information in not available yet as internet is not working here.”
Farmer leaders said Ashish Mishra was in one of the cars that allegedly hit some protesters who were protesting Maurya’s visit. However, the minister said he and his son were not present on the spot and claimed he had photo and video evidence to prove it.
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, who has been at the forefront of the farmers’ protest against the controversial new agricultural laws of the Narendra Modi government, on Monday demanded that minister Mishra be sacked and his son arrested.
He also sought Rs 1 crore compensation and a government job for the kin of the deceased farmers.
“After our demands were met, then only will be cremate the (farmers),” he said in a press conference at Lakhimpur Kheri.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body spearheading the farm agitation, also wrote to Indian president Ram Nath Kovind asking him to sack the minister.
The protesting farmers also said that Asish Mishra opened fire on the farmers.
Mobile internet services were suspended in parts of the violence-hit district where restrictions were imposed under Section 144 of the Criminal Penal Code that bars assembly of four or more people.
The UP Police said on Twitter early on Monday to describe the incident as “unfortunate” and added that eight casualties have been reported till now as per the district administration.
