New Delhi: The CPI (M) Monday hit out at the BJP and the government, saying they have “no business to not allow” political leaders to visit Lakhimpur Kheri where violent clashes left four farmers dead.
Opposition parties have alleged that their leaders were not being allowed to meet the families of the victims.
“The BJP and Modi government have no business to not allow political parties to reach victims of the barbarism inflicted on farmers yesterday. Strongly condemn this draconian throttling of democracy,” CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in a tweet.
“The sacrifice of our brave and determined farmers will not be allowed to go in vain. Our respects to those who have paid with their lives,” he added.
Eight people were killed Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers’ protest, claiming the lives of both farmers and BJP workers in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) national president Naresh Tikait has asked BJP workers not to visit the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh, saying farmers are angry over the violence that broke out in Lakhimpur Kheri Sunday.
Addressing a kisan panchayat at the BKU headquarters in Sisoli Sunday night, he alleged that the BJP was trying to defame the farmers’ agitation by provoking violence.
Naresh Tikait has asked BJP workers not to visit the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh, saying farmers are angry over the violence that broke out in Lakhimpur Kheri Sunday.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh Monday demanded that Ajay Kumar Mishra should immediately be removed as the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs to ensure that an impartial probe is conducted into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
The AAP leader also said that he was stopped by police in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur when he was en route to Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the family members of farmers killed in the district Sunday.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh was stopped by police in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur when he was en route to Lakhimpur Kheri in the early hours of Monday, a day after eight people died as violence erupted during a farmers’ protest there.
“Farmers were killed, and Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh, who was on his way to meet the family members of those farmers and pay his condolences, has been kept halted on the roadside since late last night,” senior AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said in a tweet in Hindi.
“Yogiji, tears of the family members of the farmers will weigh heavy on you,” he added.
Singh shared a couple of video clips in which he is seen asking the cops why he was being prevented from visiting Lakhimpur Kheri.
“Why have you stopped me? Show me the arrest order, I will come to the police station. I am going to pay my condolences. Under which law is it a crime? Just tell me why have you stopped a parliamentarian? Do you have any orders,” Singh can be heard asking the police officials in one of the videos that he shared on Twitter.
Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, along with several party MLAs, held a protest outside the Raj Bhavan here on Monday against the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in Uttar Pradesh.
Sidhu, other Congress legislators including Madan Lal Jalalpur, Gurpreet Singh and several members of the Punjab Youth Congress sat outside the residence of the Governor Banwarilal Purohit and raised slogans against the BJP.
Citing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal Monday told the Supreme Court that an “unfortunate incident” happened and the protest against the farm laws must stop now. At this, the top court said that when “such incidents happen, nobody takes responsibility”.
“A large number of petitions (against the three farm laws) have been filed. Unfortunate event happened at Lakhimpur Kheri. Such incidents should not happen. The protests must stop..”, Venugopal told a bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar.
PTI