Who is to blame for death of 9 people in Lakhimpur Kheri violence? Here's what the two sides are saying

On Sunday, reports of violence emerged from the Lakhimpur Kheri area, where protesting farmers clashed with BJP workers which left several people injured along with 9 dead.

Lakhimpur Kheri reportedly turned into a battlefield after the protesting farmers clashed with the BJP workers who were on their way to receive deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya who was supposed to visit that area on Sunday.

A day after violence in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri, an agreement was reached between farmers and the administration with the latter accepting all their demands.

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However, both sides kept attacking each other, calling out foul plays and blamed each other for the death of 9 people.

Here's what the protesting farmers are  saying:

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha claimed that Ashish Misra's vehicle ran over farmers who were protesting against Uttar Pardesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to a village in Lakhimpur Kheri.

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"To express our agitation against Sunday's incident, the SKM calls for a protest outside the offices of district magistrates and divisional commissioners across the country between 10 am and 1 pm," Kisan Union leader Darshan Pal Singh said.

What the BJP minister and workers are saying: 

Meanwhile, Ajay Mishra and his son Ashish claimed that protesters attacked the convoy and killed a driver and three others, including two BJP workers. Mishra further said that if his son had been involved in the clash, he had not survived.

Mishra termed the incident as conspiracy and said that "some miscreants" from agitating farmers started pelting stones and injured the driver owing to which the car lost its balance and two people died coming under it. The farmers' union has called for a protest outside the offices of district magistrates and divisional commissioners across the country on Monday.
 

However, it was announced at a joint press conference following several rounds of talks between the two sides that a "compensation of Rs 45 lakh each will be paid to the families of the four deceased, and a government job will be given to one family member, based on eligibility.”

This was decided in a meeting between UP Police's Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, who had despatched to the area after the violence broke out, and top officials, following several rounds of talks between the Inspector General of Police, Lucknow Range, and a delegation of the farmers.