Farmers going to Kheri stopped at UP border

Tribune News Service

Karnal, October 6

Scores of farmers who were heading towards Lakhimpur Kheri from Singhu border were stopped on Haryana-UP border by the UP Police on Wednesday.

A large number of farmers from Karnal district were also part of the farmers’ group. The farmers alleged that the UP Police have parked truck and dumpers on the bridge on Yamuna canal at the state border and are not allowing anyone to cross over.

Jagdeep Singh Aulakh, state core committee member of BKU (Charuni), farmer leader Rampal Chehal, Bhadur Singh Mehla, district IT cell in-charge of BKU, were in the group of farmers from Karnal.

“We were going to Lakhimpur Kheri to join the last rites of a farmer who was killed on Sunday,” said Chehal, adding that the UP Police did not allow them to do so.

Meanwhile, the SKM reiterated its demand for the arrest of Ashish Mishra, sacking of minister Ajay Mishra from the Union Government and resignation of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The SKM also served an ultimatum to the UP and Union Governments that if these demands are not met by the ‘antim ardaas’ day of the deceased farmers, a “big programme” will be announced.

In a joint statement, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Dr Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Hannan Mollah, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Shivkumar Sharma ‘Kakkaji’, Yudhvir Singh and Yogendra Yadav, said, “We will not step back from the struggle for justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri farmers’ massacre.”

The SKM also condemned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the events at Lakhimpur Kheri even though he visited Uttar Pradesh yesterday.