Lakhimpur Kheri: With compensation and probe, UP govt makes truce with farmers; Oppn vents fury

Uttar Pradesh, still reeling from political repercussions of Sunday’s violence in the Lakhimpur Kheri district that killed eight people including four farmers, saw some semblance of normalcy return by Monday.

This after the government agreed to accommodate some of the demands of farmer leaders with regards to the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, even as it drew flak for stonewalling the Opposition’s attempts to reach out to the victims’ families.

On the law and order front, the state police had to impose Section 144 in state capital Lucknow, Hapur and Lakhimpur Kheri districts to quell protests. But the overall situation remained peaceful as political leaders appealed to their cadres to maintain calm while the Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders reached the site of the original protest to calm enraged farmers following the deaths of their comrades and to hold meaningful negotiations with the state government.

Mobile internet services have been suspended in parts of the violence-hit district, where restrictions under CrPC section 144, which prohibits assembly of four or more people, has also been imposed, according to officials.

Sunday’s violence was the bloodiest yet in the prolonged farmers’ protest against the Centre’s new agri laws that began last year. Angry farmers also set on fire two SUVs during the clash near Banbirpur.

Here is a breakdown of the day’s events:

FIRs and counter-FIRs: Union minister’s son booked for murder

Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday registered a case of murder and rioting against Ashish Mishra (the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni) and 13 others after he allegedly mowed down four farmers protesting against his father, and four others were killed in the ensuing violence. The police have invoked the sections of 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 147 (rioting) of the IPC over the Lakhimpur violence.

However, some BJP leaders too registered an FIR against unknown persons alleging murder, attempt to murder, revenge and inciting violence. More details are awaited on this.

Meanwhile, UP DGP (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said that the police is hopeful of rounding up all accused within a week’s time and further probe is likely to be handed over to a retired high court judge.

UP govt nod for Rs 45 lakh compensation, probe

The government of Uttar Pradesh has said the family of each farmer who died will be given Rs 45 lakh, that those responsible for the deaths will be arrested as soon as possible, and a former high court judge will investigate the violence.

The government will also give Rs 10 lakh to those injured in the violence, said Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Awasthi.

“An agreement has been reached with the farmers. The government will give Rs 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,” he said.

But this is only half of what the farmers demanded. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farm unions, has written to President Ram Nath Kovind, demanding that MoS, Home, Ajay Mishra be sacked and a murder case filed against his son. They had also demanded one crore compensation for the family of the deceased and a government job to one member of each family.

Nonetheless, the farmers seemed to have agreed to the partial relief by the government as they have agreed for a post-mortem examination on the bodies of four farmers who were kept in glass cases since this morning in protest.

UP govt stonewalls Opposition’s efforts to reach out to victims

It started late last night when Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra decided to visit the victim’s families in Lakhimpur Kheri. Forces were deployed outside her residence to create a house-arrest like preventive mechanism to stop Priyanka from reaching the strife-torn area. But she snuck out of the house and was finally detained from Sitapur district while she was en route to Lakhimpur Kheri, her party said.

She later continued her dharna in a PAC guest house in the district, Congress leaders protested outside and raised slogans against the BJP-led state government over her “arrest”.

A 42-second video released by UP Congress spokesperson Vikas Srivastava showed Priyanka Gandhi sweeping a room in the guest house, where she has been detained, in Sitapur district which is adjacent to Lakhimpur Kheri.

Later Opposition leaders like Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Singh Chouhan were also taken into custody as they planned to leave for Lakhimpur Kheri.

The state authorities also denied permissions to land choppers in the state capital to Congress leaders like Bhupesh Singh Baghel and Charanjeet Singh Channi.

Also Read:  Who said what on Lakhimpur violence and UP government’s handling of incident  

Purported video of MoS Mishra surfaced on social media

A purported video of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra in which he is heard warning agitating farmers that he would discipline them in “two minutes” appears to have angered farmers even before Sunday’s violent clashes in Lakhimpur Kheri.

“Face me, it will take just two minutes to discipline you fellows,” the two-time BJP MP from Kheri is heard allegedly saying in the video.

“I am not only a minister or an MP and MLA…People who know me even before I became a Parliamentarian know that I never run away from taking a challenge. The day I accept the challenge you all have to leave not only Palia (a place) but Lakhimpur itself,” he is heard saying in the video.

Source said Mishra’s speech came in the backdrop of some farmers showing him black flags in Palia locality in his Kheri Parliamentary constituency where he had gone to address a public meeting there late last month.

Since then farmers have been up in arms against him and on Sunday while protesting against the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in Mishra’s native village Banbirpur violence erupted resulting in eight deaths, the sources said.

Farmer leaders had claimed that the minister’s son Ashish Mishra was in one of the cars which allegedly knocked down some protesters who were opposing the deputy CM’s visit.

However, Ajay Mishra said he and his son were not present at the spot as alleged by some farmer leaders and he has photo and video evidence to prove it.

Who is Ajay Mishra?

Ajay Mishra had also claimed that extremist organisations like the Babbar Khalsa have infiltrated into the farmers’ protest. An FIR has been registered against Ashish Mishra and others in connection with the incident.

Some criminal cases including that of murder were lodged against 61-year-old Ajay Mishra in the past but he was cleared by the court in those related to murder allegations.

Starting his political innings as a panchayat member, Ajay Mishra was elected as BJP MLA from the Vidhasan Assembly seat in the Lakhimpur Kheri district in 2012. The party nominated him for the 2014 Lok Sabha poll from the Kheri seat which he won then and also in the last Parliamentary election in 2019.

He was inducted into Prime Minister Narendra Modi cabinet in July last year and given a key berth as Minister of State for Home.

The saffron party projected him as a prominent Brahmin leader and organised several public meetings for him to drum up support in the upcoming state election.