Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Section 144 imposed in Lucknow, ahead SKM's ‘rail roko’ protest today

New Delhi, Oct 18: The Uttar Pradesh cops have imposed Section 144 CrPC in Lucknow on Monday following the 'Rail Roko Andolan' call given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), demanding the resignation of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

Lucknow Police has warned of invoking the stringent National Security Act (NSA) if protesters tried to disrupt normalcy."Police to take action against those who will participate in the 'Rail Roko Andolan' called by farmers organization. 144 CrPC is also imposed in the district and will impose NSA if anyone tries to disrupt normalcy," the Lucknow Police said in a statement.

Demanding the resignation of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has called for a six-hour-long nationwide 'Rail roko' agitation.

"SKM put out a call to its constituents to stop rail traffic for six hours on October 18, between 10 am and 4 pm. SKM asked for this action to be taken up peacefully, without any destruction and damage of any kind to any railway property," the umbrella body of farmers' unions on Sunday said in a statement.

The statement further added the justice apparently cannot be given to the victims with Ajay Mishra being the MoS of Home Affairs in the union NDA government.

"He promoted hatred, enmity, and communal disharmony between Hindus and Sikhs in his speeches. It is his vehicles that were used to mow down peaceful protestors. He harboured his son and accomplices even as the police was issuing summons to Ashish Mishra," the statement added.

It is likely to affect train movement.

Meanwhile, Farm law protestors sit on the railway track at Devi Dasspura village in Amritsar following the farmer's union call for 'Rail Roko Andolan' today.

On 3 October, the jeep owned by Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra mowed down a group of protesting farmers. It triggered violence in which eight people died, including eight farmers.

The UP government has constituted a one-member judicial commission to probe the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

So far, the cops have arrested four people in connection with the case - Ashish Mishra, Luvkush, Ashish Pandey, and Bharti. On 13 October, one Ankit Das, a close friend of Ashish Mishra and nephew of former minister Akhilesh Das, appeared before the special investigation team (SIT) and he has been taken into police custody.