Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav on Saturday said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will burn the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on October 15, which is Dusshera, to protest against the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reported news agency PTI.
Yadav also demanded the Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra be sacked "as he started this conspiracy and is also protecting the culprits in the case". "We are sad over the loss of lives, be it BJP workers or farmers. It was unfortunate and we hope justice is done," he added.
Meanwhile, in a press conference, the farmer leaders demanded that Union minister Ajay Mishra and his son (who is the prime accused) be arrested, and termed the incident a "terror attack" and part of a "pre-planned conspiracy".
The SKM, an umbrella body of farmer organisations spearheading the stir against the farm laws, said they will take out a "Shaheed Kisan Yatra" from Lakhimpur Kheri if their demands are not met by October 11.
The SKM also appealed to farmer bodies to organise prayer meetings on October 12 and urged people to light candles outside their homes on that evening.
The SKM also gave a call for a "rail roko" agitation across the country from 10 am to 4 pm on October 18 and a "mahapanchayat" in Lucknow on October 26.
For the unversed, eight people were killed in the violence that broke out on October 3 after an SUV ran over a group of anti-farm law protesters who were demonstrating against the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya at Tikonia-Banbirpur road in Lakhimpur Kheri. The dead included farmers, BJP workers and a journalist.
(With PTI inputs)
