Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, who led the farmers’ protest against the new farm laws by the Central government, has begun a 75-hour Dharna along with other farmers’ organisations from Thursday. They are demanding the sacking of Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni and releasing four farmers who were put in jail in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence last October in which eight had died.
Rakesh Tikait along with 31 farmers’ bodies — under the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) — has begun the 75-hour protest from Thursday at Rajapur Krishi Mandi in Lakhimpur Kheri district. Social activist Medha Patkar has also reached the site.
District chief of BKU Dilbag Singh, who was at Rajapur Mandi, told media that Rakesh Tikait reached Lakhimpur on Wednesday evening. “From August 18, in shed number 4, 5, and 6 of Rajapur Mandi in the city, 31 organisations will also participate in the protest along with the Bharatiya Kisan Union,” Singh said.
Earlier on Wednesday, CO Sadar, Sandeep Singh also reached Rajapur Mandi to take stock of the situation and also met Dilbag Singh. Meanwhile, farmers from far-flung areas started reaching the protest site on Wednesday.
After reaching Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday, Rakesh Tikait said, “In a meeting held in Delhi two months ago, discussions were held about a sit-in in Lakhimpur Kheri. A 75-hour dharna will be held to demand the release of the jailed farmer in the Tikunia case, dismissal of the Union Home Minister and minimum support price of the farmers’ produce.”
Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay Mishra, was released from jail earlier this year after fulfilling bail conditions pronounced by the Allahabad High Court.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) had named Ashish Mishra as the main accused in the Tikunia incident in its charge sheet submitted to the court. Farmers were staging a protest in Tikunia village on October 3 last year against the visit of deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Ajay Mishra’s native Banbir village when four of the agitating farmers were crushed under the wheels of a convoy of cars. In the subsequent violence, four others comprising two BJP workers, driver and a journalist were killed.
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