The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday warned of strict action against those who will participate in the ‘Rail Roko’ stir, called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers’ unions, over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. They said that Section 144 has been imposed in Lucknow, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people at one place.
Those who are found to be violating the rule or try to “disrupt normalcy will be booked under the National Security Act (NSA),” the police also said.
Farmers have called for a Rail Roko agitation on Monday, demanding the removal of the Ajay Mishra who serves as the minister of state for home affairs at the Centre. His son Ashish Mishra is the main accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence which resulted in the death of eight people on October 3.
The SKM allege that Ashish was sitting in the vehicle that mowed over farmers on October 3; however, both the minister and Ashish have denied the allegations.
Meanwhile, Lucknow Police Commissioner Dhruva Kant Thakur has given strict directions to his deputies and other officials to “not let any anti-national activity take place”.
The stir will be six-hour-long and it will begin at 10 am. It will continue till 4pm. Railway operations are likely to be impacted during the said period.
“To press for its demand for Ajay Mishra’s dismissal and arrest, so that justice can be secured in Lakhimpur Kheri violence, SKM has announced a nation-wide rail roko program on October 18,” the farmers’ body said in a statement on Sunday.
The action will be taken up “peacefully, without any destruction and damage of any kind to any railway property,” it said further.