EIGHT DEAD

charge denied by both Mishra and his son.

The farmers were protesting three contentious farm laws enacted by the central government last year.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella group of farm unions spearheading the agitation against the three farm laws, has called for protests outside the offices of district magistrates and divisional commissioners across the country on Monday over the incident. It also demanded a probe into the incident by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, and not by the Uttar Pradesh administration.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) said that the farmers were attacked when they were returning home after staging a protest against the farm laws. He also alleged that people in the convoy opened fire on the farmers. Tikait was on his way to the spot late on Sunday.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the state government will conduct an in-depth probe into the reasons behind the incident, and will expose those behind it. He called the incident unfortunate, according to a statement from the chief minister’s office.

The Uttar Pradesh Police’s additional director general (law and order) Prashant Kumar said forces were deployed in large numbers in Tikonia, about 70km from district headquarters of Lakhimpur Kheri.

Officials said internet services were partially suspended in the district.

The incident took place on the Tikonia-banbirpur road when the protesting farmers, who blocked the road to oppose Maurya’s visit, were infuriated after two cars allegedly belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers hit them, leaving many of them seriously injured, a police officer said on condition of anonymity. The farmers then overturned and set the two cars on fire, besides thrashing people in the convoy, he added.

After the incident, Maurya cancelled his visit to Banbirpur village, where he was to inaugurate an annual wrestling competition, which is organised by Kheri parliamentarian and Union minister Mishra in memory of his father, Ambika Prasad Mishra.

Reacting to the incident, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: “We will not let this sacrifice go in vain - Kisan Satyagraha Zindabad.”

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in a tweet: “How much hatred BJP harbours against farmers in the country? Don’t they have a right to live? If they raise their voices, then you will open fire on them? Run them over by vehicles?”

“Enough is enough...this is the country of farmers, and not a fiefdom of BJP ideology...farmers’ satyagrah will get stronger, farmers’ voice will get louder,” the Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh said. She was on her way to the place where the incident took place.

The opposition Samajwadi Party in the state said it will send a delegation of party leaders to Lakhimpur Kheri to investigate the incident.

Running over the farmers who were peacefully protesting the farm laws was inhuman and cruel, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet. “...UP will not tolerate the atrocities by arrogant Bjpites...and if this state of affairs continues then in UP Bjpites will not able to travel in vehicles or get out of them,” he added.

In another tweet, Yadav said that he spoke with farmer leader Tejender Singh Virk, who has been seriously hurt. “The government should give him best of medical treatment...and there’s only one demand... that the chief minister should resign,” Yadav tweeted.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee termed the incident “barbaric”.

She said that a delegation of five Trinamool Congress MPS will visit the families of the victims on October 4.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said he will visit Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday.

Ashish Mishra, son of the junior home minister, said he was not present at the spot, but some party workers in his car were passing through the area when the incident took place.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) also condemned the incident.