By IANS,
New Delhi : Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj Monday expressed concern over the farmers’ agitation in Uttar Pradesh and demanded a probe by the National Human Rights Commission into incidents of “repression” by the state government.
“The visuals of farmers agitation in Western UP are shocking. This should not happen in a democratic country,” Swaraj posted on micro blogging site Twitter.
“Men have left the villages. There is repression on women and children. How can an elected government allow this?” she tweeted, adding that “National Human Rights Commission should immediately act and send a team to these villages”.
The agitation in Bhatta Parsaul village in Greater Noida took an ugly turn Saturday when 15 people were critically injured in clashes between farmers and security forces. Four farmers were killed and the district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar, Deepak Agrawal, was also injured in the clashes.
According to reports, almost all male members have fled their homes in the village fearing harassment or police action.
The farmers are demanding increased financial compensation for the land they claim has been forcibly taken away from them to build the 156-km Yamuna Expressway, between New Delhi and Agra, that is expected to cut travelling time by an hour.