CPI(Ml) announced a state-wide protest beginning September 9, against the killing of a villager in firing during a clash with foresters in lakhimpur Kheri. The party also sought filing of a complaint against the forest department staffer who opened fire on the villagers on Friday.
"Our party supporter Narottam Singh was killed when a forest ranger opened fire on villagers opposing forced occupation of a plot of land belonging to Gram Samaj at Kaptanda village under Mailani police station limit of lakhimpur," CPI(Ml) state secretary Sudhakar Yadav said here on Saturday. Alleging that the government was uprooting villagers in the name of Project Tiger, Yadav said his party was opposed to such action. "There are continued attacks on democratic rights of people under the Samajwadi Party government and voices opposing it are being crushed," Yadav said.
It may be mentioned that Narotam Singh, member of CPI (Ml) hailing from Kaptanda locality of Mailani in lakhimpur Kheri, was killed in firing in which two foresters were critically injured in a clash that ensued when a forest department team had gone to plant saplings on a plot of land at Kaanp Tanda village. However forest officials denied the CPI(Ml) charges. "Kaptanda villagers attacked the staffers of Sampurnanagar range with firearms, sharp-edged weapons and heavy sticks, critically injuring two staff members," Divisional Forest Officer (North) K K Pandey had said, adding that "there was no provocation for the attack".