Harish Rawat, Congress workers stage sit-in against Lakhimpur violence

He alleged that the BJP-led governments in Uttar Pradesh and at the Centre are killing democracy and opposition leaders are being prevented from visiting Lakhimpur Kheri.

Congress general secretary Harish Rawat along with party workers staged a sit-in protest at the office of the senior superintendent of police in Dehradun to protest the death of farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri.

Addressing the workers, Rawat said farmers were crushed to death by vehicles in the UP district under the leadership of a Union minister's son and an attempt has been made to suppress the voice of democracy. He alleged that the BJP-led governments in Uttar Pradesh and at the Centre are ''killing'' democracy and opposition leaders are being prevented from visiting Lakhimpur Kheri. Rawat demanded the dismissal of the Uttar Pradesh government and Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra. Eight people, including four farmers, were killed as violence erupted during a farmers' protest over Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday.

The farmers had assembled there to oppose Maurya's visit to Banbirpur, the native village of Union Minister of State for Home and MP Ajay Kumar Mishra.

The violence broke out after two SUVs allegedly ran over a group of anti-farm law protesters, who were demonstrating at the Tikonia-Banbirpur road.

Farmers alleged that the Union minister's son was in one of the vehicles, a charge denied by Mishra.

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