No politician to be on stage during antim ardas for 4 farmers killed in Lakhimpur Kheri violence
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) (PTI): No politician will be allowed to share the stage with farmer leaders at the Tuesday 'antim ardas' prayers for the four farmers who were killed in the violence here on October 3, a BKU-Tikait office bearer said.
Preparations for the 'antim ardas' (final prayers) are underway at a field, away from the spot where the violence took place in Tikonia village in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
"The 'antim ardas' for all the deceased farmers will be held on Tuesday at Tikonia," BKU-Tikait's district president Amandeep Singh Sandhu said on Monday.
On whether politicians will be part of the prayers, BKU-Tikait district vice president Balkar Singh said, "No political leader will be allowed to share the stage where only Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders will be present."
The SKM is an umbrella organisation of farmer unions and it is spearheading the protest against three farm laws, which were enacted last year.
"Farmers and leaders of various farm unions from various states and districts of Uttar Pradesh will participate in the 'ardas' and 'bhog' programme in Tikonia," Sandhu said, adding that "no other programme apart from the 'antim ardas' and the 'bhog' has been communicated so far."
Eight people died in the October 3 violence and of them, four were farmers, allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers. Infuriated farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles. The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.
Farmers claimed that Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and his father who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.
The SKM had demanded the arrest of the father-son duo.
Ashish Mishra was arrested after 12 hours of questioning here late on Saturday night.
The farmer unions had said if the government does not accept their demands by October 11, they will take out a 'Shaheed Kisan Yatra' from Lakhimpur Kheri with the ashes of the slain farmers.
The SKM has also given a call for a rail roko protest across the country from 10 AM to 4 PM on October 18 and a mahapanchayat in Lucknow on October 26.
Ajay Mishra should be dismissed from the cabinet and arrested on charges of spreading disharmony, murder and conspiracy. He is also protecting the culprits in the case, SKM leader Yogendra Yadav had alleged during a press conference in Delhi on Sunday.
A nine-member SIT team headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Upendra Agarwal has been formed to investigate the FIR lodged against the minister's son and others in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
After two men were arrested on Thursday in the case, police had put up a notice outside Ashish Mishra's house who appeared before the SIT on Saturday and was questioned for over 12 hours leading to his arrest.
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BJP has history of ‘contradictory alliances’, says BK Hariprasad
Bengaluru: Congress MLC B. K. Hariprasad has launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing the party of hypocrisy over its criticism of alliance politics in Tamil Nadu.
In a post on X on Friday, Hariprasad said BJP leader B. L. Santhosh criticising the Congress party’s alliance politics in Tamil Nadu was “not just laughable, but the height of political contradiction.”
He said the Congress has always joined hands with like-minded parties to protect secular and democratic values in the country.
Hariprasad questioned the BJP over several of its past and present alliances across the country. Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tripura, Bihar and Maharashtra, he accused the BJP of sharing power with parties it had earlier criticised.
He alleged that the BJP had aligned with separatist and corruption-linked political forces in different states for political gains.
“The BJP, which speaks against alliances today, should first look at its own political history,” he said, adding that the party’s record was full of “contradictions and changing stands.”
Hariprasad also accused the BJP of using central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and CBI as political tools to target opposition leaders, topple governments and influence electoral mandates.
He further claimed that the people of Tamil Nadu had strongly rejected the BJP and its ideology in the recent election.
“Congress forms alliances to protect the Constitution, secularism and national unity, while the BJP enters into alliances only for power,” he said.
