Cong, SP doing politics under pretense of farmers' protests: BJP leaders

Eight people died and several others were injured in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday in the bloodiest clash since the farmers protest over the Centre agri laws began last year.Four of the dead were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.The others were BJP workers and their driver, allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and then lynched by the protesters.

Hitting out at the opposition over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, BJP leaders on Monday claimed that the Congress and the SP were doing politics under the pretense of farmers' protests.

BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya alleged that SP workers were involved in the clashes that claimed eight lives, including of four farmers.

Sharing a photograph of a complaint filed by relatives of one of the deceased, he claimed that an SP worker was involved in the violence, who was described by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav as a farmer leader.

The Congress and the SP were doing politics under the pretense of farmers' protests, Malviya claimed.

Taking on opposition leaders who were lining up to reach Lakhimpur Kheri, BJP general secretary BL Santhosh said a dangerous precedent was being forced into the system by the increasingly radicalised Congress party. ''Congress CMs want to visit Lakhimpur Kheri. What if tomorrow other party CMs also decide to visit every violent incident in Congress-ruled states,'' Santhosh asked. Eight people died and several others were injured in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday in the bloodiest clash since the farmers' protest over the Centre agri laws began last year.

Four of the dead were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

The others were BJP workers and their driver, allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and then lynched by the protesters. Two cars were set on fire.

As opposition leaders headed to the Tikonia village, about 225 km from Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh authorities clamped section 144 of the CrPC, which bans the assembly of more than four people, in the district.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)