Farmers' unions to begin 72-hour protest from today, to seek justice in Lakhimpur Kheri case

Punjab: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) — an umbrella organisation of farm unions — is set to launch a 72-hour dharna in Lakhimpur Kheri starting at 11 am today.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha called for the protest to "seek justice" in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case that took place in October 2020 and to press their pending demands.

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.

Farmers are demanding the sacking of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra, whose son Ashish was arrested in a case where eight people including four farmers were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri in October last year.

Other demands of the farmers include the withdrawal of cases registered against them during the agitation against the Centre's now-withdrawn farm laws.

Additionally, they also want compensation to be given to families of farmers who died during the same protest, as well as a legal guarantee for the minimum support price of crops.

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.

As of July this year, the Allahabad High Court denied bail to Ashish Mishra, who was allegedly sitting in one of the cars that crushed the farmers to death.

Senior farmer leaders like Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal, and Joginder Singh Ugrahan will also be a part of this three-day protest.