Tikait demands arrest of accused, threatens countrywide agitation

Lucknow: With the Lakhimpur police yet to initiate any action against prime accused Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Rs Teni’, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday threatened to launch a big agitation in the country if the people guilty in the October 3 violence were not arrested in next six days.

Talking to reporters on Wednesday, the BKU leader said, "We will not stay calm till the culprits who are responsible for the killing of the farmers are punished."

He said the UP Government would have to arrest the people involved in crushing the farmers under their vehicles even if one was the son of a Union Minister.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has demanded dismissal of Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra and registration of murder case against his son and supporters. Besides, the SKM has demanded a Supreme Court judge-monitored probe into the incident as UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured that his government would investigate it.

Rakesh Tikait has reached Lakhimpur to decide the future course of action for the farmers' protest. Even so, Union minister Ajay Mishra has denied the allegations and has said that his son was not present at the site during the clashes.

Earlier, Tikait had visited the house of deceased farmer Lovepreet Singh of Moharnia in Bahraich late on Tuesday evening. The cremation of the mortal remains of Singh was done on Wednesday after the doctors conducted the post-mortem for the second time late Tuesday night. The last rites of Daljit Singh, a resident of Banjaran Tada of Nanpara Kotwali in



Bahraich, were performed late Tuesday evening.

Sources said with the threat by BKU, the administration could ask Ashish Mishra to surrender in a court and seek bail or proceed with his arrest to save the government from any embarrassment.

Meanwhile, ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said on Wednesday that the police had set up a helpline number on which people could share evidence regarding the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. Kumar also said that the identities of people providing evidence would be kept confidential in order to ensure a fair investigation.

"The last rites of some of those who died were performed on October 5. However, one of the farmers' families was not satisfied, therefore the administration agreed to conduct a second post-mortem. After that, the last rites were performed today," the ADG said.

Kumar also said that several videos of the Lakhimpur violence had come up and the police were analysing them. He also said that the police would take action against anyone misusing or peddling false narratives through the videos. The police have assured that a detailed investigation will be conducted and no accused will be spared.

Kumar said that the Uttar Pradesh government had imposed restrictions to maintain law and order and not to restrict any movement. He said the state government had now permitted people in groups of five to visit Lakhimpur Kheri.

“Anyone who wants to go there can go now. The state government's decision was taken to maintain law and order," Prashant Kumar said.