Famers' meet in Lakhimpur Kheri today to decide 'next move'
Darpan News Desk IANS, 05 May, 2022 10:13 AM
Lakhimpur Kheri, May 5 (IANS) Lakhimpur Kheri will once again become the hotbed of controversy on Thursday when representatives of 25 farmer unions from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, along with Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, hold a key meeting in the district to discuss their "next move".
Farmers union members are also expected to meet local authorities seeking a speedy trial in the case.
Farmer leaders claim that MoS for Home Ajay Mishra Teni continues to remain in office despite past assurances from government of looking into the matter.
Teni's son Ashish Mishra is the main accused in the Kheri violence case. He had allegedly mowed down four farmers and a journalist.
Advocate Harjeet Singh, representing farmers in Kheri court, said, "Farm union leaders from four states will assemble in Kheri to support their farmer brothers lodged in jail for alleged lynching of three BJP workers. Their families said that 'officials are pressuring them in jail to change their statements against the minister's son'. Rakesh Tikait and other farm union representatives would be meeting the district magistrate and police chief."
Manjeet Dhaliwal, district president of a farm union in Shahjahanpur, said, "We demand immediate security for witnesses. Two attacks on witnesses have already taken place and there has been no action yet against the accused despite an FIR."
Further, a maha panchayat is also expected to be held in Kheri on May 10 -- the day that coincides with the next date of hearing in Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, when the court is expected to frame charges against Ashish and the other accused.
Addressing a gathering in Tanda in Hoshiarpur district after laying the foundation stone of development work, the Chief Minister said there was no threat to the life of the Prime Minister but he cancelled his programme on Wednesday because of the thin presence of people at the BJP's rally.
High drama was witnessed on Thursday after 125 of 179 international passengers, who arrived at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport Rajasansi, near here, from Italy, in an Air India flight tested positive on arrival. The Covid passengers were asked to quarantine in local hospital as per the guidelines of the government.
On Wednesday, The Prime Minister's rally in Ferozepur had to be cancelled due to a security lapse after some protesters blocked a route and forced his convoy to spend about 20 minutes on a flyover. The Prime Minister was enroute the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala when the incident happened.
Although the department has all infrastructural needs in place to deal with the large number of cases expected in case of the third wave becoming a reality, he also appealed to the people to get themselves fully vaccinated against the virus as it is the most potent tool to avoid Covid-19.
Regretting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to cancel his scheduled visit to Ferozepur midway, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said on Wednesday that there was no security lapse that led to the cancellation of the Prime Ministers visit to the bordering town.
Holding the Punjab government squarely responsible for the "gross security lapse" during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab, that eventually led to cancellation of all his programmes, former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday demanded dismissal of the government and imposition of President's rule.
