As the 'Rail Roko' agitation is being staged by the farmers' unions to protest against the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, the President of All India Kisan Sabha Ashok Dhawale has called the agitation "successful".
Speaking to ANI, Dhawale said, "The Rail Roko agitation is successful. It has been 15 days (i.e. from October 3-October 18) since the Lakhimpur Kheri incident took place. I demand Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra Teni to be removed from the post. It is shocking to know that, despite completing 75 years of Independence, the country witnessed such incident."
"I hope that justice will be served soon on this matter," he added.
Meanwhile, the Northern Railway has informed today that around 50 trains have been affected following these protests.
A statement issued by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of farmers' unions, on Sunday read, "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."
"SKM put out a call to its constituents to stop rail traffic for six hours on October 18, between 10 am and 4 pm. SKM asked for this action to be taken up peacefully, without any destruction and damage of any kind to any railway property," it said further.
A total of eight people including four farmers died in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that took place on October 3.
However, Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni had refuted the allegations saying that his son was not present at the site of the incident. Ashish reiterated the same and refuted SKM's allegations.
Later, several people, including Ashish Mishra, were arrested in the case.
( With inputs from ANI )
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