Farmers on 75-hour protest in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri
Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Aug, 2022 10:43 AM
Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh), Aug 18 (IANS) The Bhartiya Kisan Union-Tikait (BKU-Tikait) and several other constituents of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organisation of farmers, will hold a 75-hour sit-in at Rajapur Krishi-Utpadan Mandi Samiti in Lakhimpur Kheri from Thursday to press their pending demands.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha will hold the protest from August 18 to 20 to seek "justice" in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri during the violence that erupted in the Tikunia area of the district on October 3 last year.
Farmers are also demanding the withdrawal of cases registered against them during the stir against the Centre's now-withdrawn farm laws, compensation to families of farmers who died during the year-long protest and legal guarantee for the minimum support price of crops.
"The 75-hour dharna has been organised to press for their pending demands," said Dilbagh Singh, BKU-Tikait district president.
Bhudev Sharma, national organisation secretary of BKU-Tikait, said the farmers would demand dismissal of Union minister of state for home Ajay Kumar Mishra 'Teni' in connection with Tikunia violence of October 3, 2021, in which his son Ashish Mishra is the key accused.
He added their demands also included withdrawal of cases against the four farmers, who are in jail in connection with their alleged involvement in the Tikunia violence case.
Meanwhile, farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and various other parts of Uttar Pradesh have started arriving in Lakhimpur to participate in the demonstration.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made in view of the farmers' agitation.
Apart from BKU national president Naresh Tikait and national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Singh Pal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Yogendra Yadav and other prominent leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha will also take part in the sit-in.
Presiding over a meeting here with representatives of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Doaba) and the Sandhar Sugar Mill of Phagwara, the minister categorically directed the officers concerned to ensure that of the Rs 72 crore payment due (since the last three years) towards the farmers, Rs 22 crore must be realized soon and credited into the accounts of farmers by selling the property of the mill at Bhuna in Haryana.
Padma Shri Sahney made this announcement before taking oath of office in Parliament. Before the oath, he took part in 'kirtan' and 'ardaas' organised at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib here. On the occasion, Sahney announced that he will donate all his and staff salary of his tenure for the education of economically weaker students.
Mann said the 254-km long Delhi-Katra highway will be constructed at a cost Rs 11,510 crore and will pass through nine districts of the state -- Jalandhar, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Patiala, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur.
In a status report before Justice Anoop Chitkara's Bench, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sukhnaaz Singh said in view of the facts and circumstances, it is evident that there is sufficient prima facie evidence on record which reveals that the petitioner is the main conspirator, who hatched conspiracy with Gaurav Patial (accused) for eliminating Middukhera.
In January 2019, a special CBI court in Panchkula also sentenced Rahim and three others to life imprisonment for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati over 16 years ago. His conviction on August 25, 2017 had led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa, leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured.
According to customs officials, "The gold was in the form of a paste which was wrapped in black tape in two packets. The total weight of the packets was 433 grams. After removing the tape and other impurities from gold, it weighs 397 grams."
