Priyanka Gandhi to attend final prayers for UP farmers today

October 12, 2021 08:15

People from other states have started arriving at Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri for the "antim ardas (the last prayers)" of the farmers killed in violence there on October 3.

While the Congress said its leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also attend the event, a Bharatiya Kisan Union member asserted no politician will be allowed to share the dais with farmer leaders during the last prayers for the four farmers killed in the incident.

The violence during a protest over Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit had left eight people dead, including the four farmers.

The collective "antim ardas" is expected to be attended by farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and farmer leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, are expected.

BKU-Tikait's district president Amandeep Singh Sandhu said, "Preparations are underway for the 'antim ardas' (final prayers) at a field, away from the spot where the violence took place in Tikonia village."

National secretary of the RLD, Anil Dubey, said his party leader Jayant Chaudhary is scheduled to go to Lakhimpur Kheri.

Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh told PTI, "Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will go to Lakhimpur Kheri to attend the 'antim ardaas'. She will be accompanied by UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu. Other senior party leaders who are likely to go along with Priyanka ji are Dheeraj Gurjar, Rohit Chaudhary, Pramod Tiwari, Aradhna Misra and Deepak Singh."

However, BKU-Tikait district vice-president Balkar Singh said, "No political leader will be allowed to share the stage where only Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders will be present".

The SKM is an umbrella organisation of farmer unions spearheading the protest against the Centre's three contentious farm laws, which were enacted last year.

Police personnel in large numbers are being deployed in the area to ensure smooth movement of the public and maintain law and order.

Baba Kala Singh of the Kaudiyala Ghat gurdwara at Tikonia village said an "akhand path" had started on Sunday.

"It is currently going on and likely to conclude on Tuesday around 9 am," he said.

"The families of the farmers killed in the violence are likely to arrive tomorrow. A pandal has been set up on the outskirts of Tikonia," he said.

"People from Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand are arriving in their own vehicles. They are putting up a pandal on an agriculture field. The atmosphere is peaceful here. At present, there is not much crowd," he said.

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