Lucknow: Farmers have strongly objected to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidature of Ajay Mishra “Teni” for the Lakhimpur-Kheri parliamentary seat in Uttar Pradesh. The farmer leaders, demanding Teni’s resignation since the horrific Lakhimpur-Kheri 2021 incident, were stunned to see Teni’s name included in the first list of BJP candidates for the upcoming general elections.
After the BJP announced Teni’s candidature, annoyed farmer leaders reacted by saying, “The BJP has sprinkled salt on our wounds.” They decided to oppose the BJP and Teni both in the general election and call the BJP “pro-corporate, anti-farmers.”
On March 3 in New Delhi, the BJP released the names of 195 candidates from 16 states and two Union territories. Teni is a junior minister in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government’s home department. Junior minister’s son, Ashish Mishra, is charged with being involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, which claimed the lives of four farmers and a journalist.
Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of several farmer unions, believes two-term parliamentarian Teni was a conspirator in the Lakhimpur-Kheri incident and has been putting pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for Teni’s resignation from the Council of Ministers for the past two years. The demand for his resignation is also part of the ongoing farmer protest on the outskirts of the national capital, Delhi.
Also read: In Lakhimpur Kheri, BJP Proves India Has No Rule of Law Today
Irked farmer leaders demanded that the BJP’s top brass withdraw Teni’s candidature or face the consequences of betraying farmers in the next elections. According to Ashish Mittal, executive member of the SKM coordination committee, “Now it is clear that under the BJP’s rule, alleged criminals like Teni and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh thrive while poor students, women, labourers, and farmers face state-sponsored repression.”
Mittal is concerned about the future of democracy in the country, saying, “By giving a ticket to Teni, the BJP has sent a loud and clear message that if it retains power in 2024, it will crush all democratic movements.” Mittal, who is also the general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Sabha, is accusing the BJP government of hypocrisy for honouring the pro-farmer agronomist M.S. Swaminathan with the Bharat Ratan award while also supporting a candidate responsible for the deaths of farmers.
Another farmer leader, Mukut Singh, the national joint secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, told The Wire that farmers will not retreat from their demand at any cost to register a first information report against Teni in the Lakhimpur-Kheri case under Section 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
Despite the numerous nationwide protests organised by farmers against Teni, Singh continued, “His candidacy exemplifies the anti-democratic stance of the BJP.” The farmer leader continued by stating that the SKM will urge the nation’s farmers to vote against the anti-farmer BJP in the forthcoming elections.
“The tragic reminiscence of the Lakhimpur incident remains alive in our hearts. The BJP hurt the farmer’s sentiments by giving tickets to Teni,” says K. Krishnaprasad, AKIS’ finance secretary. When questioned about the political impacts of Teni’s candidature, farmer leader K. Krishnaprasad stated that farmers all over the nation, not just in Uttar Pradesh, are furious with the BJP’s decision – now farmers are overthrowing this BJP’s arrogant government in the next election.
Local farmers of Lakhimpur-Kheri are also upset and want the BJP to reconsider its decision. Following the release of the BJP’s candidate list, a meeting of the Bharatiya Kisaan Union was convened, according to Dilbhag Singh “Sindhu,” the district president of the union.
Farmers protested Teni’s candidature and demanded that Modi replace him with another candidate. “Astonishingly, a man who should be imprisoned for his heinous conspiracy against farmers is going to contest for office on the symbol of the ruling party,” says disgruntled farmer leader Sindhu.
Ishwari Prasad Kushwaha, secretary of Kisaan Mahasabha (Tikait), views the BJP’s decision to field Teni from Lakimpur-Kheri as mocking crores of Indian farmers, while they persist in demanding his resignation. According to him, farmers are angry with the BJP, and they plan to raise the Lakhimpur-Kheri issue at the Mahapanchayat on March 14 at Ramlila Ground in Delhi.
“BJP promised to double the farmers’ income in 2014, but after getting power, put the farmer’s issues like the demand of MSP, etc. on the back burner and turned blind eyes towards their plights,” says Kushwaha. Anguished farmers would upset the apple cart of the BJP because it has been dancing to corporate tunes and repressing farmers for a decade since coming to power in 2014.
It is to be recalled that on October 3, 2021, Teni’s son’s convoy allegedly rammed three farmers and a journalist in Tikunia, Lakhimpur-Kheri. The deceased farmers were returning from protesting three Modi government farm laws when the incident occurred. Later on, after a long and massive farmer protest, the government repealed these laws.
Farmers in the Lakimpur-Kheri district say that Teni, who is the minister of state for home, went to an event in Palia, Lakhimpur Kheri district, in September 2021. Some members of the farmer’s union waved black flags as a protest during the event.
According to farmers, after this protest, Tani purportedly plotted a conspiracy to assassinate the farmers for protesting against the controversial farm laws.
Teni allegedly intimidated the protesting farmers during his speech, saying, “Sudhar jao, nahi toh hum sudhaar denge, do minute me.” (You better change your ways, or we’ll teach you a lesson in two minutes.) Rough translation from Hindi. A video of his speech went viral following the Lakimpur-Kheri incident. Farmers accuse Teni of orchestrating a conspiracy based on his speech and want him to step down as minister. They also want the government to prosecute him for the Lakhimpur incident.
