Eight people lost their lives in the violence that erupted during the farmers’ protest in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. The farmers had assembled to protest Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to Banbirpur.
Banbirpur is the native village of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Misra Teni, the MP from Lakhimpur Kheri. The incident took place in Tikunia village, which is connected to Banbirpur by a road that was occupied by protesting farmers.
THE SET UP
The Union minister was to be felicitated at a prize distribution ceremony at a school in Tikunia. The event was to be a high-profile one and this is why Uttar Pradesh’s Dy CM Maurya was the chief guest. He was also slated to inaugurate development projects in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday.
The protesting farmers were reportedly angry with Union minister Ajay Misra Teni over his remarks during his visit to Lakhimpur Kheri on September 25, incidentally his birthday, when he addressed a farmers’ gathering in his Lok Sabha constituency.
The minister was shown black flags during his visit by a group of farmers prompting Ajay Misra Teni to warn them over ‘unruly’ behaviour during protests.
The protesting farmers later reportedly held a meeting on September 29 resolving to step up the campaign and protest the visit of Union minister and Uttar Pradesh’s Deputy CM.
ON THE SPOT
On Sunday, the farmers had reached a college in Tikunia village and gheraoed a make-shift helipad. Keshav Prasad Maurya was to reach the venue by helicopter but he changed the plan after being informed about the farmers’ protest. He decided to travel by road.
When protesting farmers got the news of Maurya travelling by road, they blocked the Tikunia-Banbirpur road. It was at this protest site that the violence took place that left eight people dead.
WHO DIED?
The farmers’ bodies claimed that four farmers identified as Nakshatra Singh (55), Daljeet Singh (35), Lavepreet Singh (20) and Gurvendra Singh (18) died as vehicles mowed the protesters down on the Tikunia-Banbirpur road.
Four other deaths were reported from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) camp. They were travelling in a car and were allegedly dragged out of the car and lynched by the protesters.
NINTH DEATH?
While the local administration, the farmers’ body and the BJP leaders have confirmed eight deaths in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reports have said a journalist identified as Ratan Kashyap died in the incident.
Kashyap, working with a TV news channel, was covering the incident of violence. He was reportedly hit by a speeding vehicle.
CLAIM AND COUNTER CLAIM
The protesting farmers alleged that Union minister Ajay Misra Teni’s son Ashish was in one of the vehicles that ran over the protesters.
On his part, Ajay Misra Teni denied his son’s involvement in the incident. Both Teni and his son said they had the proof of Ashish’s innocence.
News agencies have quoted Ajay Misra Teni as saying that “some elements” among protesters beat three BJP workers and a driver to death after the car they were travelling turned turtle owing to stone pelting by the agitators.
#WATCH | "Three of our workers & a driver were killed & cars were set on fire in Lakhimpur Kheri. We're going to get FIR registered. We've video. Case u/s 302 to be registered against those involved & action will be taken,"says MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni
(Source: Self-made video) pic.twitter.com/rHUZ3p3sX2
— ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2021
Earlier on Sunday, PTI had quoted Ajay Misra Teni as saying that the BJP workers’ car was pelted with stones resulting in it being overturned. Two persons came under it, and died, the Union minister was quoted as saying.
VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Disturbing videos, not verified, have surfaced on social media showing victims being attacked by agitators. Some of the videos circulating on social media showed protesters
Khalistanis infiltrated farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri, UP.
Here is the video. pic.twitter.com/Mum7RSmUd0
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) October 4, 2021
Some other videos showed vehicles being set on fire by protesters waving black flags. One video shows protesters attacking a vehicle with sticks. Two persons fell off the vehicle. They were beaten with sticks by the protesters. These videos, however, remain unverified.
Though the claims made by both sides remain unverified, each side is using these videos to set political narratives that suit them in the situation emerging from Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
WHO SAID WHAT
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of over 40 farmer unions spearheading the agitation against three farm laws passed by Parliament in 2020, demanded murder cases be registered against the Union minister and his son.
Farmer leader and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Rakesh Tikait said, “The government should not test the patience of the farmer further. The farmer may die but is not to be afraidIf the government does not come to its senses, not a single BJP leader will be allowed to leave the house.”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a probe and said, “The government will go into the depth and expose elements involved in the incident and will take strict action against them.”
The Lakhimpur Kheri incident got the political pot of election-bound Uttar Pradesh boiling. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra set out for Lakhimpur Kheri was detained on her way “to meet the families of the victims”. Her brother Rahul Gandhi backed her saying the BJP “got scared” of Priyanka Gandhi’s “courage”.
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav sat on a dharna outside his residence in Lucknow. While the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister was on a sit-in protest, a police van outside his residence was set on fire. Later, he was detained by the police.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati claimed her party leader Satish Chandra Mishra was placed under house arrest in Lucknow preventing him to visit Lakhimpur Kheri.
1. बीएसपी के राष्ट्रीय महासचिव व राज्यसभा सांसद श्री एससी मिश्र को कल देर रात यहाँ लखनऊ में उनके निवास पर नजरबन्द कर दिया गया जो अभी भी जारी ताकि उनके नेतृत्व में पार्टी का प्रतिनिधिमण्डल लखीमपुर खीरी जाकर किसान हत्याकाण्ड की सही रिपोर्ट न प्राप्त कर सके। यह अति-दुःखद व निन्दनीय।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) October 4, 2021
In all this, the Congress seems to have seen an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone — up the ante against the BJP and divert attention from the infighting in Punjab and Chhattisgarh.
The chief ministers of the Congress-ruled Punjab and Chhattisgarh Charanjit Singh Channi and Bhupesh Baghel respectively sought permission for landing their helicopters in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Almost all political parties with some presence in Uttar Pradesh have deputed their leaders “to meet” the families of the victims on the farmers’ side. The BJP, on the other hand, is complaining about the violence allegedly perpetrated by “elements” among the protesters.
WHAT NEXT?
A compromise seems to have been arrived between the protesting farmers and the Uttar Pradesh government following the talks with Rakesh Tikait-led group and the state government.
The compromise formula includes ex gratia of Rs 45 lakh each to kin of the deceased farmers, Rs 10 lakh each to those injured, government jobs to a family member of each of the four deceased farmers as per their qualification, and judicial probe into the incident of violence.
