The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a prominent farmers’ coalition, has vocally criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) decision to field Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni from the Kheri Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh. This announcement has reignited anger among farmers, who have been demanding Mishra’s resignation following the tragic incident in Lakhimpur Kheri in October 2021, where his son Ashish Mishra Teni is accused of running over protesting farmers.
In a detailed statement, the SKM recounted the events of October 3, 2021, when violence in Lakhimpur Kheri resulted in the deaths of four farmers and a journalist. The farmers’ body accused Ajay Mishra Teni of being the main conspirator behind the massacre, criticizing the Modi government for protecting the Minister of State for Home Affairs during the aftermath.
The SKM’s statement expressed dismay at the BJP’s decision, interpreting it as a manifestation of a corporate-criminal nexus under the current administration. In response, the coalition, in collaboration with the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTU) and other organizations, plans to challenge the BJP’s move during the Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat on March 14 at New Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.
Further, the SKM has called for nationwide torchlight processions in villages to protest against Ajay Mishra Teni’s candidacy and to shed light on the alleged corporate-criminal nexus. The date for these protests will be determined by the SKM’s state coordination committees.
Additionally, the SKM outlined its plans for significant participation in the upcoming Mahapanchayat from states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, among others. The statement also highlighted the farmers’ coalition’s condemnation of the Union information and broadcasting ministry’s ban on the film “Kisan Satyagraha,” viewing it as an attack on freedom of expression and democratic values.
In closing, the SKM urged farmers across India to observe International Women’s Day on March 8, in solidarity with women’s organizations and other mass movements, emphasizing the importance of fighting for women’s emancipation and against discrimination.
This firm stance by the SKM underscores the ongoing tensions between the farming community and the BJP, stemming from past conflicts over farm laws and incidents of violence against protesters.
