Poll Ticket to Minister From UP's Lakhimpur Kheri Angers Farmers' Body

Farmers of Uttar Pradesh, who have so far not joined the Punjab farmers in their protest, are up in arms over the Lok Sabha ticket to Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son allegedly mowed down protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri in his SUV three years ago. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which was at the forefront of the farmers' protests in 2020-21, has issued a call for a massive protest against the candidature, which, it says, is the BJP's "open challenge" against farmers. The SKM will declare its response in the Kisan-Mazdoor Maha panchayat in Delhi's Ramlila Grounds on March 14, the organization has said.

The farmers' movement had demanded dismissal and prosecution of Ajay Mishra Teni, read the statement from the umbrella body of farmers.

"But the Modi Government has been protecting the Home Minister of State during this entire period. After intervention of the Supreme Court only, the main accused Ashish Mishra Teni was arrested and the prosecution started," read the statement, which asked all farmers to "Focus on the Kisan Mazdoor Maha Panchayat".

Farmers from other states, meanwhile, have been asked to "hold village padayatra, house campaign and district / local maha panchayats".

Justice for the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri was one of the key demands of the farmers. It is still a part of the Punjab farmers' demands that focus mainly on Minimum Support Price of crops, and forms the common ground between the two groups.

"SKM has given a clarion call of Kisan Mazdoor Maha Panchayat at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi and appeals farmers across India to focus on making this action a historic one with peaceful, massive participation. There will not be any other SKM call of actions at Delhi before 14 March 2024. The adjacent states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, parts of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh will participate massively at Ramlila Maidan," SKM's statement read today.

The BJP has silently backed the western UP strongman after the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, despite massive demands to sack him. It had paid off during the assembly elections of 2022, when the party won all eight seats in the area under his influence.

Eight people were killed on October 3, 2021 during the protest against the now scrapped farm laws, when a car which allegedly had Ashish Mishra inside, ran over four protesters. Three BJP workers and a journalist also died.

The assembly election results had raised eyebrows, given the depth of farmers' anger as reported by the media.