Farmers' Plan to Protest Killings:  Will Hold Mahapanchayat, Rail Roko  & Burn Effigies

Farmers' groups will hold a 'rail roko' on 18th October and a mahapanchayat in Lucknow on 26th October to protest the murder of eight people, including four farmers, on Sunday in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri.

They have also demanding the sacking of junior Union Home Minister Ajay Mishra, as well as the arrest of his son Ashish, who is still a free man despite being named as a murder suspect in the FIR.

"Farmers from all over the country will assemble in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 12,what occurred there was no less than the Jallianwala Bagh, and we request that all civic organisations have candle marches in their cities at 8 p.m. (on October 12)," Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav stated today.

"Farmers would travel to every state with the ashes (of the farmers who perished in Lakhimpur Kheri) and will perform immersions On October 15, all farmers would burn effigies of Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah "He added.

"We will hold a 'rail roko' on October 18 and on 26thOctober, Lucknow will host a massive mahapanchayat."

Ajay Mishra's SUV, a Mahindra Thar, rammed into a group of farmers staging a peaceful protest (as part of the nationwide agitation against the centre's farm laws).

The farmers have alleged Ashish Mishra was in the SUV.

After skipping yesterday's summons, Ashish was questioned by UP Police earlier today.

He arrived with a police escort to respond to a summons in which he is listed as a witness in the case.
The summons came after the Supreme Court rapped the UP government and police for their handling of the case;

Chief Justice NV Ramana asked the state if the accused would be treated differently if he were not the son of a union minister.

Protests erupted in Delhi shortly before the farmers revealed their plans, with Youth Congress workers clashing with cops over demands to arrest Ashish Mishra.

Ashish and his father have both rejected all of the accusations levelled against them. Mishra admitted that the car belonged to his family, but neither he nor his son was in it at the time of the event.