8 killed in violence during protest against Ministers in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP): Violence has broken out in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, where farmers were holding protests since Sunday morning over the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya and Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra.

Eight persons, including four farmers, were killed in the violence, reported NDTV quoting Arun Kumar Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police, Lakhimpur Kheri. The other four were occupants of the vehicle(s) that allegedly ran over the farmers.

Earlier, farmers unions had claimed that two of the protesters were run over by a vehicle in the convoy of the Union minister, in which his son and other relatives were seated.

Farmer unions have also claimed that eight farmers were injured. "In Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, 2 farmers have died and 8 farmers were seriously injured after the vehicles of the ministers' convoy crushed the farmers standing on the side of the road, protesting against the programme of the Union Minister of State for Home," tweeted the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmers.

Over a dozen farmers have been injured and unconfirmed reports said that three farmers had died in the incident. Officials, however, refused to confirm the number of deaths or the number of persons injured in the incident.

Earlier in the day, thousands of farmers had marched to Tikuniya on Sunday and staged protests against the Uttar Pradesh government.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was scheduled to reach Banvir village to attend a programme organised by the Union Minister.

However, farmers occupied the helipad site at Maharaja Agrasen Sports Ground, where his helicopter was to land.

Following this, the Deputy Chief Minister's programme was changed and he reached Lakhimpur by road from Lucknow.

Angry farmers in Tikunia protested by uprooting the hoardings welcoming him.

The farmers came from adjoining villages like Palia, Bhira, Bijua, Khajuria and Sampurna Nagar with black flags in their hands.

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Kisan Union spokesman Rakesh Tikait said that he is reaching Lakhimpur to meet the injured farmers. A heavy deployment of forces has been made in the area and police from adjoining districts is also being called in to control the situation.