BATHINDA: Sanyukt Kisan Morcha is going to observe Tuesday (October 12) as Shaheed Kisan Diwas as a tribute to four farmers and a journalist killed on Sunday at Lakhimpur Kheri. The bhog ceremony (memorial service) is scheduled for Tuesday. SKM has also planned ‘rail roko’ (blocked rail traffic) on October 18 for six hours.
The umbrella body of protesting farmers’ organisations, in a meeting urged, the farmers from across UP to join the ‘antim ardas’ at Tikonia village from where a series of actions will be taken up to put pressure on the Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath governments, to secure justice. SKM also asked people to organise prayer meetings in gurdwaras, temples, churches, mosques and any other public places. “All peace loving citizens are urged to join candlelight vigils or light five candles outside their homes as homage to the 5 martyrs. On this day, all citizens participating in the farmers’ movement will re-commit themselves to the struggle,” said the SKM leaders.
If all demands, including arrest of Ashish Mishra and other accused and sacking of Union MoS Ajay Kumar Mishra, were not met by October 11, SKM would stop rail traffic across India on October 18 from 10am to 4pm.
SKM alleged the UP BJP government was protecting in Lakhimpur Kheri violence accused. During the hearing in the Supreme Court on Friday senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the UP government, assured the court that the “shortfall will be filled up between today and tomorrow”, it showed the police knew about whereabouts of Ashish, alleged SKM. It demanded Ashish, Sumit Jaiswal, Ankit Das and others be arrested immediately and said in normal circumstances if murder case was registered the police would go and arrested the accused.
SKM said it was disappointed that the next hearing in the case will be after 12 days. However, SKM said the Supreme Court’s concerns with regard to the UP government investigation as well as CBI inquiry were noteworthy. “It is utterly shameful of the Modi Government to have received such scathing remarks from the SC,” said SKM, adding it agreed fully with the Supreme Court on both the local investigation and CBI investigation not being a solution in the case.
“SKM rejects both the SIT and judicial inquiry set up by the UP government. SKM demands an impartial investigation that will report directly to the Supreme Court, and welcomes the court’s order asking UP police to keep all evidence in tact,” it added. It claimed Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had “apologised” for his statements made on Sunday in a party workers’ meeting, “inciting violence against farmers”
