Farmers were protesting in Lakhimpur Kheri when it turned violent
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and other opposition leaders condemned the violence in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri, where eight people including four farmers were killed in a protest against two BJP ministers.
Violence broke out on Sunday in Lakhimpur Kheri, where farmers were holding protests since this morning over the visit of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya.
Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the violence, senior police officer Arun Kumar Singh said.
A farmers' union said two of the protesters were ran over by a vehicle in the convoy of the Union Minister. The four others who died were occupants of the vehicle that allegedly ran over the farmers, the officer said.
"I strongly condemn the barbaric incident in Lakhimpur Kheri. The apathy of the BJP towards our farmer brethren pains me deeply. A delegation of 5 Trinamool Congress MPs will be visiting the families of the victims tomorrow. Our farmers will always have our unconditional support," Ms Banerjee, who won a by-election on Sunday that guaranteed her continuation as Chief Minister, tweeted this evening.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the BJP. "How much does BJP hate the farmers of the country? Don't they have the right to live? If they raise their voice, they will be shot or crushed under a car. Enough. This is a country of farmers not the fiefdom of BJP''s brutal ideology," she tweeted.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi tweeted:
"No one is above the law ... FIR under sec 302 IPC must be registered against Union Minister's son for murder of innocent farmers, he should be immediately arrested and put behind the bars for this barbaric act," Mr Sidhu tweeted.
Junior Home Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra has denied his son was present at the area in Lakhimpur Kheri where the incident happened, adding he has video evidence to prove his claim, news agency PTI reported.
Mr Mishra, who is from the area, was holding a function at his village which the Deputy Chief Minister was also supposed to attend. The farmers decided to block their visits over Mr Mishra's recent speech in which he has brushed off the protests, saying it was a protest of "10-15 people and it would take just two minutes to make them fall in line".
Mr Mishra said three BJP workers and a driver were beaten to death by "some elements" among the protesting farmers. "Some elements among the farmers, who were protesting, showed black flags and pelted stones on the car, which overturned. Two farmers came under the car and died. Three BJP workers and the driver of the car were beaten to death by some people present there," Mr Mishra told PTI.