Lakhimpur/Pilibhit (UP), Feb. 19 (PTI): Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday equated the mowing down of farmers in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri with the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and said on coming to power, his government will act against people shielding perpetrators of the crime.
Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence last October.
The farmers were mowed down allegedly by cars carrying BJP workers.
Police had arrested Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish in the case. Ashish Mishra got bail recently.
Addressing election rallies in Pilibhit and Lakhimpur Kheri, Yadav said the violence reminded him of the Jalliawalan Bagh incident during the British rule.
"Those who got bail in the case will lose their deposits in the court of people during voting," he said, adding that his party's government will ensure action against those who shielded perpetrators of the crime.
Speaking on pending sugarcane dues in the Terai belt, Yadav promised that on coming to power, his party's government will set up a corpus fund to ensure payment to farmers within 15 days of selling the crop.
He also accused the ruling BJP of suppressing farmers during the stir against the Centre's farm laws.
"The BJP government acted against the farmers' agitation in all its capacity," Yadav alleged referring to the installing of spikes and barricades near the Delhi border where farmers protested against the laws.
Yadav said the BJP repealed the farm laws only for votes and it could bring back any law any time.
He also slammed the BJP government for rising inflation and paucity of fertilisers.
Farmers, youth, Dalits and the poor have been looted by this government, diesel and petrol have become expensive, cooking gas has become expensive, education system has deteriorated, business and work has been snatched, Yadav said.
In his address in Pilibhit, he observed a two-minute silence in the memory of the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Ahmed Hasan.
Hasan had died on Saturday. Yadav said Hasan supported his father and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav throughout his life.