UP Polls: Akhilesh Yadav compares Lakhimpur violence with Jallianwala Bagh massacre

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday, December 18, compared the Lakhimpur Kheri violence to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Yadav, who is currently on a two-day visit to Rae Bareli as part of the seventh leg of 'Samajwadi Vijay Yatra' in Uttar Pradesh, expressed confidence in defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming 2022 Assembly elections in the state. 

"In Uttar Pradesh, the incident of a jeep being run over on farmers took place. If the pages of history are turned back, then one is reminded of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, when the British fired (at people) from the front," the SP chief said. 

Yadav added that the British attacked the people from the front but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ran a jeep over farmers from behind. He attacked the BJP government for not taking any appropriate actions against the accused. The former UP chief minister alleged that the state government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is working in a discriminatory manner and said that Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra has not been removed from his position. "For those who are accused, bulldozers have not been run over their house," the SP chief said. 

It should be mentioned here that commenting on the issue, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi had, on December 15, said, "Piyush Goyal has made it clear that the Supreme Court is monitoring it (Lakhimpur probe). The government wants that there should be a fair probe and impartial probe. What else does the Opposition want? It is a sub judice matter."

Lakhimpur Kheri violence

On October 3, while farmers were protesting against the now withdrawn farm laws at Lakhimpur Kheri outside an event venue where Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya was scheduled to be present, one of the farmers was shot dead, allegedly by Ashish Mishra - son of MoS Ajay Mishra, and two farmers were killed after his car reportedly ran over them.

Before the incident, farmers were seen holding black flags displaying their disapproval of Maurya's helipad landing at Maharaja Agrasen Ground. In response to the horrifying act, farmers began pelting stones at the car which had overturned, killing four BJP workers - including Mishra's driver. 

(Image: PTI)