Farmer's death at Ghazipur border while protesting against farm laws disturbing: Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday termed the death of a 57-year-old farmer due to heart attack while protesting against the Centre's new farm laws at the Ghazipur border as "disturbing", and accused the ruling BJP of being "heartless".

In a Hindi tweet, he said, "On the first day of the new year itself, the news of the martyrdom of a farmer at the Ghazipur border is disturbing. The farmers are sacrificing their lives in the dense fog and cold, but the ruling party is sitting heartless. The ruthlessness seen in the BJP has never been seen so far." Mohar Singh died of heart attack while protesting against the farm laws at the Ghazipur border in Ghaziabad on Friday.

A resident of Bhagwanpur Nangal village in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh, Singh was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead, an official said. Indirapuram Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Anshu Jain had told PTI that the farmer died of heart attack.

Commenting on the incident, the state president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Rajbir Singh, said all the farmers who lost their lives during the protest against the farm laws must get the status of a martyr. Singh's body was wrapped in a BKU flag and union leader Rakesh Tikait paid homage to him. On the eve of the new year, a tribute was paid to those farmers who died during the protest. A candlelight march was also taken out.