A viral video purportedly showing protesting farmers being run over by an SUV in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh has gone viral on social media.
The video was first shared on Twitter on Monday by Tractor for Twitter, a twitter handle which is run by farmers protesting against the Union government’s contentious laws.
8 people killed
Watch the Video here:
A total number of 8 lives had been taken away on Sunday in Lakhimpur Kheri, which includes four farmers and one freelance journalist.
The video lasted for 29 seconds. According to NDTV, the police have not confirmed its authenticity. The video shared does not make it clear who was driving the SUV.
In the video, the automobile is visible ramming into people who fell down, at the same time it was seen that others attempted to flee the scene. Another SUV, with sirens on, follows the primary car.
Among the various political leaders and others who shared the video on social media turned into one not likely face – BJP MP Varun Gandhi.
FIR against Ashish Mishra
Protesting farmers have stated that the deaths had been due to the SUV which was said to be driven by Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son, Ashish Mishra. Minister Ajay Mishra, however, claims that his son was not present in that scene.
An FIR commending murder charges has been filed against Ashish.
Families of the farmers who were killed stated on Monday that they will not cremate their bodies unless they are given copies of the post-mortem reports, NDTV reported.
Tikait spoke to UP Government
While protests have been on that scene and tensions have been excessive on Sunday and Monday, consisting of showing the bodies of the farmers who were killed, the region was cleared up by Monday afternoon.
Bharatiya Kisan Union chief Rakesh Tikait spoke to senior leaders of the Uttar Pradesh government after which he spoke to the protestors on the site. He told them to go to their respective home and promised the protesters that justice will be served.
Rs.45 lakhs of compensation
“Veer shahidon ka balidan, yaad karega Hindustan (The country will remember the sacrifice of the brave martyrs),” Tikait said. He added that it was a big success that a case of murder had been charged against Ashish Mishra and a Rs 45 lakh compensation had been promised to the familues of the victim, The Hindu reported.
“The minister and his son will not be spared…he will lose his ministerial post,” Assured Tikait to the protestors. If adequate actions are not taken within 10-12 days whilst the killed mens’ funeral rites take place, the BKU said, a mahapanchayat might be called.
The UP Government has stated that a retired judge will probe the incident.
Sections charged against Ashish Mishra
According to The Tribune, another case has been charged against Ashish Mishra and others, a counter-FIR has additionally been registered towards protesting farmers.
The first FIR has been registered under the Section 302 (murder), Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and Section 147 (rioting) of the Indian Penal Code.
This FIR, in accordance with the newspaper, is primarily based totally at the grievance of relatives of a BJP employee who was allegedly killed in the violence.
The names of the victims were Amandeep Singh Sindhu, Mahendra Singh, Jejender Singh Virk and other unknown persons.
Priyanka Gandhi detained
Meanwhile, many leaders of the opposition parties have been stopped on their way to visit the victims’ families on Monday. Congress chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was one amongst them, and has now been in detention for more than 28 hours.
On Tuesday morning, whilst sharing the purported video of the incident, she questioned why the police were taking action towards her instead of the person who was driving the vehicle.
“@narendramodi ji your government has detained me for the past 28 hours without any order or FIR. How come the person who ran over farmers has not been arrested yet?” she tweeted in Hindi.
Congress media and communication vice president Pankaj Srivastava stated that the general secretary, who was detained at 4:30 am on Monday, has been in detention for the past 28 hours.
“She is not being allowed to meet her lawyers and the administration is not telling her reasons for her detention,” he said.
Besides Priyanka, State Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu, National secretary Dheeraj Gurjar, Youth Congress National President B.V. Srinivas and Party MLC Deepak Singh also are under detention, Srivastava said.
