Farmers to hold mahapanchayat, block train, demand arrest of Union Minister and Son

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP): The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is spearheading the agitation against the Union government's three farm laws, has announced that if the government does not accept their demands by October 11, they will take out a 'Shaheed Kisan Yatra' from Lakhimpur Kheri with the ashes of slain farmers.

The farmer unions gave a call for a 'rail roko' protest across the country from 10 AM to 4 PM on October 18 and a 'mahapanchayat' in Lucknow on October 26 to protest the death of eight people, including four farmers, in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday. The group alleged that the violence that happened on October 3rd (Sunday) was held under a pre-planned conspiracy.

The farmers' group also demanded to sack Union Minister Ajay Mishra from the cabinet and arrest him on charges of spreading disharmony, murder and conspiracy.

"Mishra is also protecting the culprits in the case", SKM leader Yogendra Yadav alleged during a press conference in Delhi.

"His son Ashish Mishra and his associates, who have been accused of murder, should be arrested immediately, he said.

Yogendra Yadav added that an 'antim ardas' (prayer meeting) will be held on October 12 at Tikonia, Lakhimpur Kheri to pay tribute to the four farmers and the journalist killed in the incident.

All farmer organisations should organise prayer meetings at their places on October 12, he said and appealed to citizens to light candles outside their house on that evening.

A nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Upendra Agarwal has been formed to investigate the FIR lodged against the minister's son and others in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

After two men were arrested on Thursday in the case, police had put up a notice outside Ashish Mishra's house asking him to appear before it in connection with the HDAviolence that claimed eight lives

Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra was quizzed on Saturday for over nine hours by an SIT of Uttar Pradesh police in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on October 3, a day after the Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction over the state government's action in the case.

Ashish Mishra appeared before the special investigation team (SIT) at around 10.30 AM after a second summons was served to him the previous day when he did not turn up for interrogation and the questioning at the crime branch office in the Police Lines was continuing even after 8 PM, sources said.

Security personnel were deployed in strength and barricades were put up in the area.

Ashish Mishra was named in an FIR following allegations that he was in one of the vehicles that mowed down four farmers protesting over UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit last Sunday.

Two BJP workers and their driver were then allegedly lynched by angry farmers. Local journalist Raman Kashyap also died in the incident, which has triggered a political storm and put the BJP government on the back foot in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Ashish Mishra and his father had denied the allegation, saying they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.

The Supreme Court had on Friday questioned the non-arrest of the accused, directed preservation of evidence and mulled transferring the probe to another agency.

Without mincing words, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana had said, the law must take its course against all accused and the government has to take all remedial steps in this regard to inspire confidence in the investigation of the brutal murder of eight persons