Punjab: Farmers Hold Protest To Mark 1 Year Of Lakhimpur Kheri Incident, Demand Sacking Of Union Minister

A memorandum, addressed to PM Modi, was also submitted by the protesting farmers to the Phagwara Sub-divisional Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Nayan Jassal.

Farmers assemble to pay tribute to the victims of Tikunia village violence on the first anniversary of the incident, in Lakhimpur Kheri district, Monday, Oct. 3, 2022.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Members of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba), BKU (D) staged a protest in Punjab’s Phagwara in Kapurthala district on Monday in observance of first year anniversary of Lakhimpur Kheri violence and demanding sacking of Union Minister Ajay Mishra and withdrawal of “cooked up” cases registered against farmers during their stir against now-repealed agricultural laws, reported news agency PTI.

They targeted the BJP-led government at the Centre over the continuation of Ajay Misra 'Teni' as a minister citing the alleged involvement of his son, Ashish Misra in mowing down farmers protesting against the three farm laws that have now been repealed.

Led by BKU(D) vice president Kirpal Singh Moosapur and general secretary Satnam Singh Sahni, the protesters staged a demonstration at Sugar mill crossing on national highway in Phagwara, and raised slogans against the central government and Misra.

A memorandum was also submitted by the protesting farmers to the Phagwara Sub-divisional Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Nayan Jassal, reported the news agency. 

Addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the memorandum demanded dismissal of Misra from the Cabinet.

According to the report, Sahni said they also demanded through the memorandum withdrawal of "cooked up cases against farmers and immediate release of those in jails".

"We also demand government job to the eligible members of the martyred farmers and journalists as promised by the government and relief to the injured farmers," he said, quoted by the news agency.

Moosapur alleged that farmers were still waiting for justice even though one year had passed since the incident.

Farmers were staging a protest in Tikunia village (UP) on October 3 last year against a visit of UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya when four of them were crushed under the wheels of a convoy of cars. In the subsequent violence, four others including two BJP workers and a journalist were killed.