Samyukt Kisan Morcha demands dismissal and arrest of Union minister Ajay Mishra and arrest of his son

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 9

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Saturday demanded the dismissal and arrest of Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni and the arrest of his son Ashish Mishra, terming the Lakhimpur Kheri “massacre” a “terror attack”, a “pre-planned conspiracy” against farmers”.“The BJP wants to force farmers to use violence but we will continue to use non-violent methods,” SKM leaders said, taking the centre stage in the Press Club of India.  

SKM leader Yogendra Yadav said unless the minister of state is “dismissed from the cabinet and arrested on charges of spreading disharmony, murder and conspiracy”, he will continue to “protect culprits in the case”.

Dashan Pal, the convener of the coordination committee of the umbrella body of farmer organisations spearheading the stir against the farm laws, said Lakhimpur Kheri “violence should not be seen in isolation as it was a part of larger conspiracy against farmers’ and the ongoing struggle”.

Also read: Lakhimpur Kheri Violence: Union minister’s son Ashish Mishra appears before UP Police

The SKM also decided to burn the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and any “local leader” on Dusshera.

“Some of the members wanted to burn the effigy of Manohar Lal Khattar, some of Yogi Adityanath, so we decided that the third effigy could be of any local leader,” Yadav said.

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“Some of the members (of the SKM) were of the opinion that effigies of (Haryana CM) Manohar Lal Khattar or (Uttar Pradesh CM) Yogi Adityanath should also be burnt, therefore we decided that farmers can chose…it can be any local villain, local leader,” Yadav said.

The plan includes an ‘antim ardas’/‘bhog’ for farmers killed at Tikonia on October 12, a countrywide ‘rail roko’ on October 18 and a ‘mahapanchayat’ in Lucknow on October 26. After the ‘antim ardas’, the SKM is also planning to start a ‘Shaheed Kisan Yatra’ from Lakhimpur Kheri, carrying ‘asthis’. 

SKM leaders asked supporters to either come to Lakhimpur Kheri for the ‘antim ardaas’ or hold prayers in their local gurdwara, temple, mosque, church, toll plaza, morchas. “If this is not possible people can light five candles in the evening memory of four farmers and a journalist”, said Yadav.

Yadav said the programme for ‘antim ardas’ is final but the rest depends upon whether the government agrees to their three key demands-dismissal of Ajay Mishra, his arrest and that of his son. “If our demands are not met, we will announce the schedule of the remaining plan,” Yadav said.

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “silence”, in response to opposition leaders who reached Lakhimpur Kheri to console the families. The incident has “completely exposed the character of the BJP government in Centre and state”, SKM leaders said.

Joginder Singh, president of BKU (Ugrahan), said the agitation is going on peacefully, but BJP governments were trying to discredit it.

“They (BJP) associated it with ‘Khalistanis’, ‘Pakistan-China’, labelled us anti-national, but failed. Now, they are trying this new game, which is violence, and this is dangerous. The BJP wants to force the farmers to use violence,” he said.

Tikait said he did not regard those who killed BJP workers as culprits as they only reacted to SUV running over protesters.

“The killing of two BJP workers in Lakhimpur Kheri after a convoy of cars mowed down four farmers is a reaction to an action. I do not consider those involved in the killings as culprits,” he said. Yadav said: “We are sad over the loss of lives, be it BJP workers or farmers. It was unfortunate and we hope justice is done”.

Regarding allegations of him being a “BJP agent” for striking an “understanding/settlement” between farmers and the BJP government after the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, Tikait said dead bodies had to be cremated and on this everyone, including the families of victims, were in agreement.

“Dead bodies were lying without last rites… How long could that continue? Our settlement will be on the dismissal and arrest of (union minister) Ajay Mishra Teni and the arrest of his son (Ashish Mishra),” he said.

5-point campaign

• ‘Antim ardas’ on October 12 at Tikonia
•  Shaheed Kisan Yatra with ‘as this’ of martyred farmers
•  Effigies of “anti-farmer BJP government” symbolised by Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and local leaders will be burnt on Dussehra
•  ‘Rail roko’ across the country on October 18 from 10 am-4 pm
•  ‘Mahapanchayat’ in Lucknow on October 26