Lakhimpur Kheri: A shocking incident surfaced from Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district, where a policeman beat up a farmer with sticks for allegedly demanding fertilizer for his crops on Wednesday. The incident, which took place under the jurisdiction of the Phardhan Police Station, was recorded on camera, and soon the video surfaced online.
In the viral video, the cop could be seen thrashing the farmer with sticks and later putting him in the police van. The farmer’s elderly mother tried to protect him. However, the cops also manhandled her.
Video Of The Incident:
The incident sparked outrage. One of the X users called it "dictatorship". “These are the days of dictatorship, the farmer is demanding his rights, the police are raining batons, this is a futile attempt to silence,” the X user wrote.
“If there's no one to speak up, then just do whatever comes to mind, and right now, you know it's farming season. If you beat him up, the poor guy won't be fit to farm, and whatever the issue is, it'll take him longer to recover than the matter itself, and it'll cost money too. Why so much cruelty,” another X user said.
Notably, small farmers in Lakhimpur Khedi were protesting for not getting urea for their crops. They reportedly blocked the Mohammadi road. The police reportedly lathicharged the protesters.
The Kheri Police said that cops took stern steps to clear the highway, and normal traffic was restored. Meanwhile, small farmers alleged that they were not getting fertilizers for their crops. The protesters also claimed that rich farmers get trolleys full of fertilizers.
Uttar Pradesh’s Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi reached the district on Wednesday. He reportedly claimed that there is no shortage of fertilizers in the state. Notably, on the same day, long queues of farmers outside government fertilizer shops were reportedly seen.
