Farmer deaths: Bahraich locals protest, CM's visit cancelled

With two of the four farmers killed in Lakhimpur Kheri violence turning out to be from Bahraich, local residents on Monday both mourned their deaths and agitated against their killings amid an eerie silence enveloping their villages.

The two Bahraich residents who fell victim to Sunday's violence in Lakhimpur Kheri were identified as Daljit Singh, 42, a resident of Banjaran Tanda village of Nanpara Kotwali area and Gurvinder Singh, 22, of Moharnia village under Matera police station of Bahraich district.

While Bahraich natives, led by various organisations, lodged their protest by submitting a memorandum, addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind, to the district administration, the Samajwadi Party workers burnt effigies of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and held 'satyagraha' at many places.

In their memorandum addressed to President Kovind, locals expressed grief and demanded stern action against those responsible for the incident.

The proposed Monday's visit of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to Bahraich and Shravasti too was cancelled in the wake of Sunday's violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.

Meanwhile, the families of the two dead Bahraich residents awaited the bodies of their kin and hoped that they would reach their ancestral villages by Monday evening.

Bahraich's Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Ashok Kumar said, 'A deputy superintendent of police and an inspector have gone to Lakhimpur Kheri to bring the bodies of the deceased farmers.'

After the post-mortem examination of the bodies in Lakhimpur, the last rites will be held in Bahraich on arrival.

The dead bodies had not reached till sunset so the last rites would be held on Tuesday morning, the ASP said.

Among the dead, Gurvinder Singh was unmarried and a granthi of the local gurdwara, so people used to call him 'Gyani ji'.

He often used to go to the gurdwara at Tikunia in Lakhimpur, his family said, adding he was a very simple man and used to stay away from any kind of quarrels and disputes.

The second farmer, Daljit Singh was a resident of Banjaran Tanda village of Nanpara Kotwali area.

Administrative sources said Daljit Singh has a 20-year-old unmarried daughter and two sons. His eldest son is a high school student.

Villagers said that Daljit was crushed to death by a jeep in front of his 15-year-old son.

With the news of their death, an eerie silence has descended upon both villages with the relatives of the deceased and villagers mourning their death and demanding strict action against the guilty.

After the Sunday violence in Lakhimpur Kheri, the train service between Bahraich and Lakhimpur Mailani has been suspended as a precautionary measure and the roads leading to Lakhimpur and Sitapur too have been sealed by the police.

Senior police and administrative officers are camping in the villages of the two deceased farmers.