Samyukta Kisan Morcha begins 75-hour-long farmers' protest in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri

The SKM had decided to hold a protest from August 18 to 20 to seek ‘justice’ in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday morning began its 75-hour-long dharna at Rajapur Mandi Samiti in Lakhimpur city to press for its various demands, including the sacking of Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra.

The SKM had decided to hold a protest from August 18 to 20 to seek "justice" in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

"BKU national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, national organisation secretary Bhudev Sharma and some other prominent leaders arrived here on Wednesday for the dharna," the district president of Bharatiya Kisan Union-Tikait (BKU-Tikait), the local convener of the agitation, Dilbagh Singh Sandhu, told PTI.

Many more leaders of SKM would participate in the dharna, he said.

Avtar Singh Mehlo, state vice president of BKU (Lakhewal), who arrived here at the dharna spot on Thursday morning along with his supporters, said "our fight is for justice to the farmers killed in Tikunia violence on October 3, 2021." "We demand sacking of Union MoS Home Ajay Kumar Mishra, compensation to the families of farmers who died in farmers' agitation, law for MSP, roll back of electricity bill 2022," Mr. Mehlo said.

The Union Minister’s son, Ashish Mishra, is an accused in the violence that left four farmers dead in Lakhimpur Kheri last year.

Farmers from various parts of U.P., Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Haryana have started pouring in large groups to participate in the dharna.