Violence erupts after Union Minister’s cavalcade kills farmers; many reportedly beaten to death

Violence erupted in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur-Kheri district on Sunday, October 3, after a vehicle of Union minister Ajay Mishra's cavalcade knocked down several farmers while the latter were protesting against the farm laws.

Farmer leaders claimed that two farmers were killed while around a dozen others were injured after being knocked by a vehicle, which, they alleged, was being driven by Ajai Mishra's son Ashish Mishra.

Meanwhile, Ajay Mishra said that three BJP workers and a driver were beaten to death by "some elements" in the protesting farmers after a car in which they were travelling turned turtle following pelting of stones.

He claimed that two farmers had died after coming under the car.

The Union minister of state for home said neither his son nor he was present at the site when the incident occurred.

He said the incident happened when some BJP workers were going to receive UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya who had come to attend an event at Lakhimpur Kheri.

"Some elements in farmers, who were protesting, showed black flags and pelted stones on the car which turned turtle. Two farmers came under the car and died.

"Three BJP workers and the driver of the car were beaten to death by some people present there," he said, adding he was on his way to get their postmortem done.

Mishra said his son was not present at the spot as alleged by some farmer leaders and he has photographic and video evidence to prove it.

"My son was present at the venue of the (deputy chief minister's) event and thousands of people, officers of the administration and police were present there. All through, I was accompanying the deputy chief minister," he said.