NEW DELHI: BJP MP from Pilibhit Varun Gandhi on Monday demanded a CBI probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri incident that left eight persons, including four farmers, dead. The BJP MP also demanded a compensation of Rs one crore for the kin of the deceased.
In a letter to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Gandhi stated that the violence during the farmers' protests at Lakhimpur Kheri was a heart-wrenching one. "A day before the incident, the country celebrated the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, an apostle of non-violence. In the Lakhimpur incident, our 'annadaatas' were murdered which is unforgivable in any civilised society," he wrote, further adding that the farmers' protests should be treated with sensitivity.
"In any case, we should treat our farmers with sensitivity within the ambit of law by Gandhian and democratic means. I request that all the suspects involved in the violence at Lakhimpur Kheri should be immediately identified and tried for murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," he wrote.
He further said it would be more appropriate to get the CBI to investigate this incident in a time-bound manner under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
"Apart from this, a compensation of Rs 1 crore should also be given to the families of the victims," Gandhi said.
Eight people were killed on Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri, claiming the lives of both farmers and BJP workers.
Two SUVs were set on fire by angry farmers in the clash near Banbirpur in Lakhimpur Kheri, the bloodiest incident of violence since the protest over the farm laws enacted at the Centre began last year.