Minister Mohsin Raza said Uttar Pradesh has ordered an inquiry into the incident. (file)
Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Mohsin Raza today alleged that the Opposition parties wanted to flare up riots in Lakhimpur Kheri in an attempt to create a negative environment. "Opposition parties are creating a negative environment. They wanted to flare up riots. These people always try to find opportunities in the face of disaster; they do politics over the dead," Mr Raza said.
As many as eight people died in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident on Sunday, said Uttar Pradesh police. Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of several farmer unions, had alleged four farmers lost their lives in the incident.
Mr Raza also lauded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the manner in which he tackled the issue and also the law and order situation in the area.
"In the interest of farmers, CM Yogi cancelled scheduled visits and called a high-level meeting to establish law and order in the area. As a result, after reaching a consensus between the family members of the deceased and the Bharatiya Kisan Union, 35 lakhs have been given as compensation to their families, 10 lakhs to those who suffered serious injuries and a job to one member of one of the family," said Mr Raza.
He said that every demand of the family members of those killed have been accepted including that of an enquiry into the incident.
"We have also ordered the level of enquiry, the family members were demanding," he added.
Earlier, Samyukta Kisan Morcha had alleged that Ashish Mishra Teni, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni arrived with three vehicles around the time that farmers were dispersing from their protest at the helipad and mowed down farmers and towards the end also attacked SKM leader Tajinder Singh Virk directly, by trying to run a vehicle over him.
Refuting SKM's allegations, Mr Teni had said that his son was not present at the spot, adding that some miscreants merged with protesting farmers and pelted the stones on the car which lead to the 'unfortunate incident'.
Mr Raza, who is a Minister of Minority Welfare, Muslim Waqf board and Hajj also reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lucknow on Tuesday to inaugurate various schemes for the state of Uttar Pradesh.
"Since the day Prime Minister Modi formed the government at the Centre in 2014, we are working hard on the schemes of public importance so that we can transform the country into 'new India' that PM Modi has dreamt of. Today he has come to Uttar Pradesh to gift us development projects worth Rs 4000 crores," added Mr Raza. .
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)