The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organisation of about 500 farmers’ outfits and a joint platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and Federations, has decided to observe Black Day on Tuesday, the second anniversary of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which four farmers and one journalist were killed during a protest against farm laws.
The CTUs and the SKM have reiterated their demand that Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni be dismissed from the Council of Ministers and prosecuted.
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Farmers and workers affiliated with SKM and CTUs will hold demonstrations, effigy burning and public meetings at district and tehsil headquarters across the country, a joint statement said.
Apart from the demand for the dismissal and prosecution of Mr. Teni, they have also been demanding that cases against farmers who participated in the protests be withdrawn.
Four farmers Nakshatra Singh, Gurvinder Singh, Lavpreet Singh, Daljeet Singh and one journalist Raman Kashyap were killed that day when a vehicle allegedly driven by Mr. Teni’s son was rammed into their rally .
SKM leaders said it was part of a BJP plot to suppress farmers’ struggle against the three farm laws, which were aimed at the corporatisation of agriculture.
“735 farmers were martyred during this historic agitation. During the last two years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not ask Ajay Mishra Teni to resign or dismiss him from the Cabinet. The PM is protecting the chief conspirator behind the murder of farmers though his name was registered in the FIR,” the SKM and the CTUs said in a statement.
