Senior Congress leader Ashwani Kumar lashed out at Uttar Pradesh government over the killing of 8 people during clashes and said that such “murder of democracy” had never been seen in India post Independence.
Islamabad, Oct 4, (Asia Free Press): Eight persons including four farmers were killed and at least 15 persons were injured in Uttar Pradesh state of India on October 3, when a group of protesting farmers were run over by a car that was allegedly part of the cavalcade in which the son of Ajay Mishra the India’s Minister of State for Ministry of Home Affairs was travelling, the local media reported.
Indian Express reported the local Additional Director General (ADG) law as saying, On Monday morning two FIRs have been registered on the violence at Tikonia police station against the Ajay Mishra’s son, Ashish, and 13 others on charges including murder and rioting.
A retired high court judge will probe the incident, the ADG added.
The farmers had assembled to block two ministers from visiting as part of the protests against the controversial farm laws when a car from the cavalcade of Ajay Mishra rammed into the protesting farmers. Mobile internet has been barred in the violence hit parts, restrictions have been imposed on assembly of more than four persons. Nobody is allowed to enter into the Lakhim pur Kheri area from neighbouring state of Punjab, barricades have also been erected along Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border which has led to traffic congestions on national highway 24.
According to News18, one of those killed in the violent clashes was identified as a local journalist Raman Kashyap who had went missing on Sunday and his body was recovered this morning.
Rakesh Tikait the Kisan Union leader reached the site on Monday morning. “The protesting farmers were attacked, fired at by the cars’ cavalcade in Lakhimpur Kheri,” he claimed reported the local media.
The incident has received high condemnation from several local and national politicians. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has been detained in wee hours of Monday morning as she attempted to meet the families of victims. A video of her conversation with the policemen who stopped her at Sitapur went viral on social media where she was heard saying, “I am not more important than the people you have killed. You give me a legal warrant, a legal basis or else I will not move from here and you won’t touch me. Warrant nikalo, order nikalo nahi toh main yahan se nahi hil rahi hoon (Produce a warrant or a legal order or else I am not moving out from here).”
Congress leader #PriyankaGandhi, who was on her way to meet kin of farmers who died during 3 October's violence in UP’s #LakhimpurKheri district, was arrested on 4 October, claimed Congress’ youth wing national president Srinivas BV. Read more: https://t.co/S4ZJ6y14Qm pic.twitter.com/nUaj7eLqEO
— The Quint (@TheQuint) October 4, 2021
While speaking to Indian news agency ANI, the Senior Congress Leader Ashwani Kumar said, “Such murder of democracy has never been seen in post-independent India. Eight innocent people were killed, the leaders of the country want to go and sympathise with them and pay tributes but they are being stopped. This never happened even during the British times.”
