DNA Exclusive: Truth behind Lakhimpur Kheri violence and political tourism by opposition leaders

New Delhi: Nine people including four farmers, three BJP workers and a local journalist were killed in violence that erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district after a vehicle reportedly trampled protesting farmers on Sunday. Following the incident, the area has become a hotspot for leaders of several opposition parties who are trying to enter the area to target the government.

Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on Monday (October 4) discussed the truth behind the Lakhimpur Kheri violence and questioned the intent of opposition leaders who are trying to corner the government on the issue.

At the root of this violence is an incident that happened on September 25. On that day, Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni had come to attend a programme in his parliamentary constituency Lakhimpur Kheri. During this, some workers of the Kisan Union here showed him black flags, due to which he got angry and told from the stage that he knows all these people who are protesting and can discipline them in two minutes.

In protest against this statement, the farmers’ union and some political leaders of the area announced that they would protest against the arrival of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3.

Yesterday, the protesters crowded at the helipad where the Deputy Chief Minister's helicopter was to land. Due to the protest, Keshav Prasad Maurya reached Lakhimpur Kheri by road instead of helicopter and participated in the programme. Ajay Mishra Teni was also with him. But soon after, reports of violence started coming in.

There are three versions of the sequence of events:

According to one version, Ashish Mishra alias Monu Mishra, son of Ajay Mishra Teni, had come with three vehicles to receive Keshav Prasad Maurya and during this, his car crushed the protesting farmers. It was alleged that his car was traveling at a speed of 100 kmph due to which two vehicles overturned.

The second version is that the vehicles by which the farmers were crushed were not driven by Ashish Mishra but his driver Hariom Mishra, who was beaten to death by the farmers.

As per the third version, when the BJP convoy was going to receive Keshav Prasad Maurya, some farmers pelted stones at them, following which the vehicles lost balance and crushed protesters.

When our team examined the video footage, it was found that the vehicles did not overturn due to high speed, as is being claimed. Rather, some farmers overturned these vehicles and set them on fire. Apart from this, some people were also seen attacking the BJP workers.

A day after the incident, political leaders from opposition parties began flocking the area. Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Priyanka Gandhi, Jayant Choudhary and five leaders of Mamata Banerjee's party tried to visit Lakhimpur Kheri today. However, they were stopped due to the imposition of Section 144.

Priyanka Gandhi was detained by the UP police, dramatic videos of which have surfaced.

This was quite similar to what happened last year when a Dalit girl was raped in Hathras. Even then the opposition leaders were racing to reach the area to take political advantage of the situation.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has assured strict action against the culprits. The government has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 45 lakh each to the families of those killed in the violence.