SECURITY SCALED UP AT U.P. GATE AFTER VIOLENCE BREAKS OUT IN LAKHIMPUR KHERI

GHAZIABAD/LUCKNOW: Senior police and administrative officials rushed to the farmers’ protest site at UP Gate on Sunday evening after at least eight people, including four farmers, died in violence that broke out in Lakhimpur Kheri--over 400km from UP Gate, following an agitation that was launched to block Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to Banbirpur village, said a senior police officer from the police headquarters in Lucknow.

The UP Gate protest site is crucial for farmers protesting against the three farm laws. Many of the farmers protesting here are from Kheri and adjoining districts in UP and Uttarakhand. Hundreds of farmers from UP and Uttarakhand have stayed in camps at the UP Gate protest site since November last year to press their demand for a new law on the minimum support price and a rollback of the three new farm laws. According to farmers protesting at the UP Gate, many farmers were standing with black flags in Lakhimpur Kheri when Maurya came to visit Banbirpur village. Soon, violence broke out with protestors at the UP Gate alleging that the farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri were attacked when they were returning home after protesting against the deputy CM.

Following the incident, several farmers’ leaders, including national spokesperson for Bharatiya Kisan Union Rakesh Tikait, rushed to Kheri as the Ghaziabad police deployed more police personnel at UP Gate to ensure the situation is under control here. “People were attacked using vehicles, and firing was also done... As per the latest reports that we have, several people have died in the incident,” said Tikait in a video recorded message.

Many other leaders also condemned the incident and rushed to Kheri to throw weight behind the farmers. The Ghaziabad police also scaled up police presence at the UP Gate and are in talks with the farmers. “...They have assured us that they will remain peaceful,” said Gyanendra Singh, superintendent of police (city 2).