Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers held separate demonstrations here on Tuesday to protest the death of four farmers who were killed when a car rammed into a car in Uttar Pradesh.
Madurai Urban District Congress President V. Karthikeyan led the protest in the city. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Karthikeyan slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for not arresting those accused of ruthless killing of farmers. “Video evidence of the gruesome incident has gone viral on social media. But the Bharatiya Janata Party government has not yet arrested the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra.
However, the UP government was quick to detain Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, who was only comforting the family members of the deceased farmers. “Is this a democratic country? Can a leader of a national party not go to the house of the killed farmers?” He asked.
He said Congress workers would intensify the protest if Priyanka was not released immediately. The party’s Rural North District President Alathur Ravichandran was present.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) workers protested, condemning the Center and the UP government for the deaths of four innocent farmers.
The party’s rural district secretary C. Ramakrishnan said the Center did not bother to find a solution to the opposition to the three new agricultural laws, which farmers had been protesting for almost a year. “Farmers have not given up their protest, as the new law will not provide them remunerative prices for their produce, making them slaves of corporates. Besides, de-listing some important food grains and vegetables from the Essential Commodities Act will only lead to hoarding, create artificial shortage and result in exorbitant prices,” he said.
When the entire protest was going on peacefully, the minister’s action resulted in the killing of four farmers.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take responsibility for the incident,” he said.
He said that at least now the government should take this issue seriously and try to find a solution to the farmers’ protest at the earliest. The party’s urban district secretary Vijayarajan also spoke.