Lakhimpur Kheri incident: Teachers, students burn effigies of top BJP leaders in front of schools in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, October 4

The effect of nationwide protests (against the Narendra Modi-led Union Government and the Yogi Adityanath-led UP Government) triggered by the killing of nine persons, including farmers, during the farmers’ protest in Lakhimpur Kheri district of UP, was also witnessed in the holy city with a large number of teachers and students taking out protest marches here on Monday.

Standing in solidarity with farmers and demanding severe punishment for the accused, members of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) on Monday burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and UP Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi in front of all government schools. Members of the organisation protested outside their respective schools across the district.

Ashwani Awasthi, district president of the DTF, along with Jarmanjit Singh, state president of the Democratic Employees’ Federation, said the incident was an attempt to silence the farmers’ voice.

“It was an attempt to suppress their demand for repealing the three farm laws. This fascist government is vindictive in its treatment of farmers and the UP violence is a recent example of that. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Tenny’s son allegedly mowed down eight persons and injured many and Tenny should immediately be dismissed and held accountable,” said Ashwini Awasthi.

Students of Khalsa College too took out a protest march to condemn the severity of the incident. The Khalsa College Amritsar Students Forum (KCASF) marched from Khalsa College to Guru Nanak Dev University to castigate the horrific incident.

Arash Bhullar, a member of the KCASF, alleged that the killings were perpetrated by BJP goons under a well-thought-out conspiracy. The blatant attack on the rights of farmers and the way they are being forced into submission is condemnable and will not be tolerated. The statement made by Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar also testifies to the fact that the BJP has done nothing but indulged in acts of hooliganism in the country. With all this, the real anti-people face of the BJP also comes to the fore,” he said.

Student organisations, including the Punjab Students’ Union, Students for Society, Naujawan Bharat Sabha and the All India Student Front too, joined the protests.