Highlights
- On Wednesday, farmers from Punjab left for Lakhimpur Kheri to participate in the protest
- Farmers will also be demanding withdrawal of cases registered against them
- They will also press for a compensation to families of farmers who died during the protests
Farmers' protest: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) is set to hold a protest beginning today (August 18) till August 20, demanding justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. On Wednesday, farmers from Punjab left for Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri to participate in the 72-hour-long protest against the Centre, on the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha.
According to the details, the farmers will hold a protest in all districts of Uttar Pradesh and in several states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Through the stir, farmers will also be demanding the withdrawal of cases registered against them during the previous stir which was held against the Centre's now-withdrawn farm laws.
The farmers will also press for compensation to families of farmers who died during the course of the year-long protest, along with a demand for a legal guarantee for the minimum support price of crops.
They also demanded the sacking of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, whose son Ashish was arrested in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri during the violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area on October 3 last year.
Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan on Wednesday said they are going to Lakhimpur Kheri on the call of the SKM.
"We will participate in the 72-hour long 'dharna' there," he said.
BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said around 2,000 farmers, including women, left for Uttar Pradesh to participate in the protest.
BKU (Doaba) president Manjit Singh Rai said 10,000 farmers from Punjab will participate in the protest.
"Some are going on trains and some on their own vehicles," said Rai.
(With inputs from PTI)
