Police in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow have imposed restrictions under 144 CrPC to foil the ‘Rail Roko Andolan’ called by farmer unions. Police said National Security Act (NSA) will be invoked against anyone who try to “disrupt normalcy.”
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Sunday said ‘Rail Roko’ protests will be held across India on October 18 to demand the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Pictures posted to Twitter by news agency ANI showed farmers blocking a railway track at Devi Dasspura village in Amritsar.
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The SKM is an umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws.
The SKM said it has issued a call to its constituents to stop all train traffic for six hours from 10 am till 4 pm on Monday.
The SKM, however, said the protests must be held peacefully, without any destruction and damage of any kind to any railway property.
Four of the eight people who died in the violence on October 3 in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district were farmers. They were allegedly mowed down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers. The BJP says the protesters lynched two BJP workers and their driver.
Farmers have claimed that Ashish Mishra, the son of Ajay Mishra, was driving one of the vehicles. Ashish was arrested in the case on October 9 after being questioned for 11 hours by a special investigation team (SIT). He skipped summons earlier citing health issues. DIG Upendra Agarwal, who is heading the SIT, told reporters that Ashish had been taken into custody “on grounds of non-cooperation and evasive replies.”
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The police have also arrested two alleged close associates of Ashish after the Supreme Court asked for a status report from the UP government on the investigation.