JD(U) criticise UP govt for killing farmers, institute inquiry

New Delhi, Aug 14 (UNI) The Janata Dal (United) today criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for its ''criminal act'' of killing farmers by firing on those agitating against forcible land acquisition in Greater Noida.

JD(U) President Sharad Yadav has constituted a committee headed by party Chief General Secretary K C Tyagi to inquire into the firing incident in which four people were killed and 50 injured. The committee met the injured farmers in the hospital and inquired about the sequence of events that lead to firing.

Mr Tyagi demanded that the old age law framed by Britishers in 1894 be immediately abolished, stopping the forcible acquisition.

He also demanded that farmers killed in the Greater Noida agitation be given compensation of Rs 25 lakh each and a case of murder against those responsible for their killings be filed.

The members of the inquiry committee include national general secretary Arun Shrivastava, national general secretary Javed Raza, President of Yuva Janata Dal(U) Govind Yadav, National Vice President Neeraj Tyagi and JD(U) Delhi unit president S L Kharia.

UNI AJ AE BST1828