Lakhimpur Kheri Violence- Statewide Bandh in Maharashtra on October 11

The Shiv Sena Congress NCP alliance MahaVikas Aghadi (MVA) announced a statewide bandh in Maharashtra on October 11, 2021, in solidarity with the agitating farmers. On Wednesday, October 6, the alliance announced that the Bandh would mark the protest against the LakhimpurKheri violence. 

Jayant Patil, Minister and NCP leader of the party moved a resolution to pay tribute to the deceased farmers by observing the statewide Bandh. The State Cabinet had passed a resolution earlier in the day expressing regret over the incident.

The statement from the Chief Minister’s Office described the incident as unfortunate. The cabinet ministers also observed two minutes of silence to pay tribute to the deceased.  

What is the Matter? 

Jayant Patil decided to hold ‘Maharashtra Bandh’ on October 11. The Bandh will mark the protest against the central government over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. Patil announced the Bandh after a State Cabinet meeting and added that essential services would operate on this day.

Congress Revenue Minister Balasheb Thorat and Shiv Sena Industries Minister Subash Desai had seconded the resolution.

The decision comes a day after Sanjay Raut had a short meeting with the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding the incident. Raut mentioned that the Bandh would mark their solidarity with the farmers. For the unversed, Sanjay Raut is Shiv Sena’s MP.  

The Lakhimpur Kheri Farmers Incident 

On October 2, 2021, the SKM leaders appealed to the farmers for a black flag march in LakhimpurKheri’s Tikunia against Uttar Pradesh’s Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni.

The protest was supposed to mark farmers’ objection against a statement by Teni against the farmer leaders. The farmers marched to Tikunia and staged their protest with black flags in their hands on October 3, 2021. Around 4 pm, some of the protestors were run over by some vehicles.

In the unfortunate incident, three BJP workers were killed, and eight people, including four farmers, were injured. The incident occurred when some BJP workers were going to receive Maurya.  

The same day around 8 pm, the SKM called a protest and demanded a probe into the incident by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court and not by the UP administration. The SKM alleged Ajay Mishra’s son to be in one of the vehicles. However, Ajay Mishra had refuted the allegations.

Mishra claimed that he has video evidence that his son was not present at the place of the incident. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath had expressed grief over the incident. He tweeted, “The incident is very unfortunate. UP government will investigate the matter in detail and take strict actions against the culprits”.  

In the most recent update, The Police registered an FIR against Ajay Mishra’s son regarding the Lakhimpur Violence. On Thursday, October 7, Navjot Singh Sidhu is leading a vehicular march to Lakhimpur to protest against the violence.

The Supreme Court had asked the UP government about the accused in the incident on Thursday. The court said,” We need to know the accused against whom you have registered an FIR and whether you have arrested them or not”.