Farmers’ protest: SKM to begin 72-hour stir from today, to seek justice in Lakhimpur Kheri case

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Chandigarh,
Aug
18:
The
Samyukt
Kisan
Morcha
(SKM)
is
set
to
hold
a
protest
beginning
today
till
August
20,
demanding
justice
in
the
Lakhimpur
Kheri
violence
case.
On
Wednesday,
farmers
from
Punjab
left
for
Uttar
Pradesh’s
Lakhimpur
Kheri
to
participate
in
the
72-hour-long
protest
against
the
Centre,
on
the
call
of
the
Samyukt
Kisan
Morcha.

Farmers
are
also
demanding
the
withdrawal
of
cases
registered
against
them
during
the
stir
against
the
Centre’s
now-withdrawn
farm
laws,
compensation
to
families
of
farmers
who
died
during
the
course
of
the
yearlong
protest
and
legal
guarantee
for
the
minimum
support
price
of
crops.

Lakhimpur Kheri: Union Minister’s son Ashish Mishra denied bail

They
also
demanded
the
sacking
of
Union
Minister
of
State
for
Home
Ajay
Mishra,
whose
son
Ashish
was
arrested
in
connection
with
the
Lakhimpur
Kheri
violence
case.

Eight
people,
including
four
farmers,
were
killed
in
Lakhimpur
Kheri
during
the
violence
that
erupted
when
farmers
were
protesting
against
Uttar
Pradesh
Deputy
Chief
Minister
Keshav
Prasad
Maurya’s
visit
to
the
area
on
October
3
last
year.

Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan on Wednesday said they are going to Lakhimpur Kheri on the call of the SKM.

“We
will
participate
in
the
72-hour
long
‘dharna’ there,”
he
said.

BKU
(Ekta-Ugrahan)
general
secretary
Sukhdev
Singh
Kokrikalan
said
around
2,000
farmers,
including
women,
left
for
Uttar
Pradesh
to
participate
in
the
protest.
BKU
(Doaba)
president
Manjit
Singh
Rai
said
10,000
farmers
from
Punjab
will
participate
in
the
protest.
“Some
are
going
on
trains
and
some
on
their
own
vehicles,”
said
Rai.