Lucknow:
The Uttar Pradesh government has withdrawn the criminal cases lodged against the farmers in of Bhatta-Parsaul, a promise AKhilesh Yadav had made while campaigning for assembly elections in the state.
A release issued by the UP government says that after examining the evidence in various cases against farmers it is clear that they were framed for protesting against the state government.
Criminal charges were filed against the farmers after the agitation launched by the farmers in May last year escalated into violence, in which three farmers and two policemen lost their lives. The farmers were protesting the land acquisition by the state for the Yamuna Expressway project. They were demanding more compensation from the Mayawati government for their land.
The farmer agitation was the biggest rallying point for all political parties against Mayawati, including Rahul Gandhi who had visited the village and had courted arrest.