Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Lakhimpur Kheri Violence LIVE Updates: Protesters have blocked Shambhu Toll Plaza in Ambala after arrest of Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni late last night. Chaduni, who was detained on way to Lakhimpur Kheri, was later released. In Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur, Congress supporters staged protest outside PAC guest house to demand release of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. In Meerut, nearly 18 people were arrested after several police personnel sustained burn injuries in the wake of protest. “More or less, the protest was peaceful but some organisations took law in their hands, didn’t bother about others’ lives,” city’s SP Vineet Bhatnagar said.
A day ago, the Supreme Court questioned farm unions for continuing their protests, including blockade of national highways, when none of the three contentious agricultural laws are in force. The laws have been kept in abeyance for 18 months by the court since January after an assurance from the government to that effect. “Why is the protest when the three laws are not in force at all? It has been kept in abeyance by the court. There is a stay. The government is also bound by the law enacted by Parliament, isn’t it?” a bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar said.
Various political parties and farmers’ outfits on Monday held protests in various parts of Uttar Pradesh over the killings of four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, demanding the dismissal of Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra and lodging of an FIR against him and his son. The protests and demonstrations were reported from various districts, including Banda, Chitrakoot, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Fatehpur, Jalaun and Lalitpur in the Bundelkhand region, besides Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s home turf Gorakhpur.
Besides the usual shouting of anti-government slogans, burning of government effigies, staging of sit-ins and blocking road traffics, the demonstrations were also marked by protesters clashing with police at some places, including Pilibhit, Chitrakoot, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Fatehpur, Jalaun and Lalitpur. Workers of various political parties which participated in these protests included those of the Samajwadi Party, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party. Some of the political parties also protested against their leaders being stopped from proceeding to Lakhimpur Kheri.
In a statement, the Samajwadi Party, in protests against the detention of its president Akhilesh Yadav to stop him from visiting the violence-hit district, its workers held demonstrations all over the state. SP chief Spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said the protests and dharnas were staged at all district headquarters and memorandums, addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind were given to officials there, demanding the dismissal of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra.
The memorandum also demanded the registration of a criminal case against Mishra and his son and a compensation of Rs 1 crore to families of each of the killed farmers besides a government job to one of their kins, he added. According to reports, farmers’ outfits and political parties held demonstrations before the offices of district magistrates in Banda, Chitrakoot, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Fatehpur, Jalaun and Lalitpur in the Bundelkhand region.
In Banda, farmers led by the central president of Bundelkhand Kisan Union, Vimal Kumar Sharma, marched to the collectorate shouting slogans against the government and handed over a memorandum to officials there, demanding compensation to families of farmers, killed in Lakhimpur Kheri. In Banda, the Congress and SP workers too held demonstrations. In Chitrakoot, SP workers blocked the Prayagraj road and clashed with police.
Similar protests by SP workers were also held in Mahoba, Hamirpur, Fatehpur, Jalaun, Lalitpur. A report from Shahjahanpur said the traffic was blocked in the district with farmers camping at four different places.
Shahjahanpur’s Superintendent of Police S Anand said a large number of policemen have been deployed at important crossings and Sikh-dominated Puvayan tehsil. The SP workers also blocked Kutchery road while BKU workers blocked the road but later the road was cleared on the intervention by District Magistrate Indra Vikram Singh and Superintendent of Police S Anand. Protests were also held in Pilibhit with farmers hitting streets in the entire district and clashing with police at some places.
