Not farmers, but people from various political parties behind Lakhimpur violence: BKS

New Delhi, Oct 4: The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh has alleged that people involved in the Lakhimpur violence were not farmers, but those who belonged to political parties. The RSS-affiliated farmers' union has also demanded strict punishment against the culprits behind the incident which killed eight people.

"The people involved in the incident were not farmers, they belonged to various political parties. The incident was carried out using leftist methods. People were mercilessly beaten to death with sticks, something farmers cannot do," the BKS said while calling it an "unfortunate" incident.

It said that the manner in which the violence was carried out clearly shows that the incident was orchestrated by professional gangs using the leftist method. The BKS added the people involved in violence should get the harshest punishment and victims' families will only get justice if an impartial inquiry is conducted into this heinous incident at the earliest.

Meanwhile, farmers in Punjab and Haryana held demonstrations at many places in both states on Monday over the incident and demanded the arrest of Union minister Ajay Mishra's son in connection with the violence that broke out during a farmers' protest in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri.

The agitators burnt effigies of the Centre and the UP government at various places and raised slogans against the BJP. The demonstrations were held at Patiala, Mohali, Ferozepur, Amritsar, Rupnagar, Moga, Muktsar in Punjab, Ambala, Kurukshetra and Fatehabad in Haryana and UT Chandigarh.

Eight people were killed on Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri, claiming the lives of both farmers and BJP workers ahead of a visit by UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

Four of the dead were people in the cars, apparently a part of a convoy of BJP workers who had come to welcome the UP minister. They were allegedly thrashed to death. The four others were farmers, officials said. An FIR has been registered against the Union minister's son and several other persons in connection with the violence.