Demanding the resignation of the Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident,  Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav sat on dharna along with hundreds of his supporters after being prevented from going to Lakhimpur Kheri. Akhilesh sat in protest on the road outside his Vikramaditya Marg residence here on Monday.

Yadav said that even Britishers would not have oppressed the people the way the BJP-led government is oppressing the farmers.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also demanded Rs 2 crores as ex-gratia and government jobs for the next of kin of the farmers who died in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.  “Rs 2 crores and government jobs should be given to next of kin of the farmers who lost their lives in the incident,” he said.

Speaking to the media person while protesting outside his residence in Lucknow, Yadav said: “Even Britishers would not have committed the kind of atrocities this government is committing against farmers. MoS Home Ajay Mishra and Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya should resign.”

A police jeep was set on fire near the place where Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav sat on dharna along with hundreds of his supporters after being prevented from going to Lakhimpur Kheri.

Earlier, Akhilesh came out of his house around 9 a.m. but was informed by the police that he would not be allowed to go to Lakhimpur Kheri. As SP workers shouted slogans and became aggressive, Akhilesh asked them to show patience and squatted on the road.

Earlier, a large number of policemen and paramilitary forces had been deployed outside the residence of the SP leader. Barricades had been erected to prevent traffic movement.

The Samajwadi Party president has staged a sit-in protest outside his residence after police stopped him from going to Lakhimpur Kheri, where 8 people, including 4 farmers, died yesterday.

“Government does not want any political leaders to go there. What are they hiding?” he asked.  Earlier, Yadav demanded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s resignation over the incident.

Several Opposition leaders from various parties including Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa are also scheduled to visit Lakhimpur Kheri today.

(With inputs from agencies)