Violence During Protest Against Ministers In UP; 2 Killed, Claim Farmers
UP Deputy Chief Minister and Union Minister Ajay Mishra were on a visit to the area when the violence broke out
Violence has broken out in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, where farmers were holding protests since this morning over the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya and Union Minister of State for home Ajay Mishra.
Farmers unions have said two of the protestors were allegedly run over by a vehicle in the convoy of the Union minister.
Visuals from the area showed vehicles set on fire as a man, apparently injured, lies on the ground. There is heavy police presence in the area.
Farmer unions have claimed that eight farmers were injured.
"In Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, 2 farmers have died and 8 farmers were seriously injured after the vehicles of the ministers' convoy crushed the farmers standing on the side of the road, protesting against the programme of the Union Minister of State for Home," tweeted the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmers.
"The farmers had planned to gherao a helipad to stop the Deputy Chief Minister from getting off. Once that programme ended and most people were on way back, three cars came... and mowed down the farmers... one farmer died on the spot and another in the hospital," said Dr Darshan Pal, a leader of the farmers'union.
One of the leaders of the SKM, Tejinder S Virak, has been seriously injured and has been admitted to a hospital in Lakhimpur Kheri, he added.
The Deputy Chief Minister was on a visit to Kheri for government functions. Mr Mishra, who is from the area, was holding a function at his village which the Deputy Chief Minister was also supposed to attend.
There has been no confirmation of the deaths or injuries from the administration so far
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