This came even as the agitation over inadequate compensation for land acquired by the Uttar Pradesh government to build the Yamuna Expressway spread to other parts of the state.
One more farmer died on Sunday of injuries sustained in Saturday’s clashes between the police and farmers in Greater Noida, taking the death toll to four. This came even as the agitation over inadequate compensation for land acquired by the Uttar Pradesh government to build the Yamuna Expressway spread to other parts of UP, including Agra, with farmers going on the rampage, torching private vehicles and a bus.
The UP government also announced a reward of Rs50,000 for information on the whereabouts of Manvir Singh Tevatia, who has been leading the farmers’ agitation since January 17. “Tevatia, along with 50 men, has been instigating innocent farmers,” Brij Lal, special DG (law & order), said. “At least 99% of the farmers are satisfied with the government’s new rehabilitation policy.”
But angry farmers in Agra’s Etmadpur tehsil pelted the police with stones and set some furniture at the Jaypee group’s Yamuna Express Highway camp office on fire. The company is building the Express Highway, which will cut the travelling time from Greater Noida to the Taj Mahal town of Agra to just about 90 minutes.
The company’s executive chairman Manoj Gaur denied reports that farmers were protesting against his group’s acquisition of land for projects, including the Yamuna Expressway and the Formula One motor racing track near New Delhi. “All required land for development has been acquired and mutually agreed compensation paid to the farmers,” he said in an e-mailed statement.
Opposition parties in UP have blamed chief minister Mayawati for the incident. While the Congress has demanded her resignation and high-level inquiry into the incident by a sitting judge of the high court or the CBI, BJP leader Rajnath Singh has lambasted Mayawati for selling off farmers’ land at throwaway prices to big business houses.
“The BJP condemns the attacks on farmers,” Singh said. “Had the Mayawati government acted on time this would not have happened. No farm land should be acquired till the land acquisition Bill is passed in Parliament.”
Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav has accused the Mayawati-led UP government to be “hand in glove” with corporate biggies.
Special DG Lal, who has been camping in Bhatta Parsaul village, Greater Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, where violence broke out on Saturday, killing two policeman and a farmer, said Section 144 of the CrPC has been clamped in the district. The police have taken all steps to stop the violence from escalating, he said. “Raids are being carried out to arrest troublemakers and efforts are on to trace Tewatia.”
Trouble erupted when a police team swooped in on the village to rescue three employees of the UP State Road Transport Corporation who were held hostage by farmers demanding better compensation. Noida district magistrate Deepak Aggarwal who had gone to the village to resolve the matter suffered a bullet injury.
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