Bengaluru, Oct 4 (PTI) The Congress in Karnataka on Monday demanded resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and sought an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking responsibility for the death of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri in violence.
They also sought immediate sacking of Union Minister Ajay Mishra and the arrest of his son, who has been named in an FIR.
Congress' Karnataka leaders under the leadership of its chief D K Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Siddaramaiah held a torchlight march from the party office towards Raj Bhavan, to submit a memorandum to the President of India, through Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.
However, they were stopped mid-way by the police, who later sent them to Raj Bhavan in buses.
"What has happened in Lakhimpur Kheri is an insult to the country's independence. The country has got freedom through agitation. When the farmers of the country were agitating, the PM did not see them respectfully or hear them....knocking down protesting farmers is an insult to humanity and administration," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters after submitting a memorandum to the Governor, he said, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh should have resigned voluntarily by now and the Prime Minister should have sacked the Union Minister.
"No resignation has happened and neither any arrest has happened so far," he added.
Eight people died and several others were injured at Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday, in the bloodiest clash since the farmers' protest over the Centre's agri laws began last year.
Four of the dead were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
The others were BJP workers and their driver, allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and then lynched by the protesters. Two cars were set on fire.
Police have registered a murder case against Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, and several others over the death of the farmers.
Condemning the detention of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at Sitapur while on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri, Shivakumar said, even Britishers were not as inhuman as the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.
Congress will continue its protests tomorrow and day-after at all district centres by laying a siege to district offices and party workers and leaders will submit a memorandum to Deputy Commissioners, he said.
"This is not a matter concerning any party, this is the question of the safety of democracy, human rights and rights of peaceful agitations and agitators," he said.
Siddaramaiah said the UP CM should take the responsibility and resign immediately, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking responsibility for killing of farmers should apologise.
Noting that it is the right of every citizen or farmer to protest, he questioned whether this was dictatorship or Hitler rule to kill the protesting farmers.
"The BJP does not believe in democracy or constitution, if they feel they can threaten farmers by using force, they will have to pay a price for it.....," he said, as he hit out at the UP government for detaining Priyanka Gandhi.
