Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that the BJP doesn’t believe in democracy and only wants autocracy.

While condemning the violence at Lakhimpur Kheri in UP, Banerjee said, “This is a very sad and unfortunate incident. I have no words to condemn this incident. BJP government does not believe in democracy. They only want autocracy. Is this ‘Ram Raj? No, this is ‘Killing Raj,” Banerjee said.

The Uttar Pradesh government has directed a judicial probe in Lakhimpur Kheri violence that killed eight people, including four farmers.

The violence broke out during the farmers’ protest ahead of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to Lakhimpur Kheri.

Some claimed that the violence started after a car mowed down the protesters and some unidentified persons allegedly opened fire at the farmers.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of several farmer unions, on Sunday said that four farmers were killed in the incident.

The unions alleged that one of the four farmers was shot dead by Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni’s son–Ashish Mishra, while the others have been allegedly run over by the vehicles of his convoy.

The violence has sparked widespread outrage.

Many Congress leaders along with general secretary Priyanka Gandhi reached the violence-hit district’s border on October 4 to meet the victims after the dramatic escalation of their 10-month long agitation over controversial new laws claimed the lives of four farmers. She was however detained by the UP police.