This footage apparently showing farmers being run over by a 4WD in India is going viral after an MP for the major Bharatiya Janata Party retweeted it.
The footage, which has been widely shared on social networks, has not yet been verified by the police, according to the latest local reports, but it is believed to have been filmed in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri.
It allegedly shows farmers being run over by the driver of a four-wheel-drive vehicle that appears to be a Jeep, and local media outlet NDTV has said that it took place on Sunday and has been retweeted by Varun Gandhi, an MP for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) political party.
The footage shows people protesting when all of a sudden the vehicle rams them from behind and runs them over.
NDTV reported that eight people lost their lives in the incident, but they also stated that they were unable to verify its authenticity.
They also said that the clip had been tweeted by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with a question directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “Sir, your government has kept me in custody for the last 28 hours without any order and FIR. This person who crushed the annadata (farmers) has not been arrested yet. Why?”
The farmers were allegedly protesting a recent speech by Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra and NDTV said the vehicle was allegedly driven by his son, who they name as Ashish Mishra.
Both the Union minister and his son have denied that they were at the location at the time of the incident.
NDTV said a complaint was filed against the Union minister’s son for murder.
But they also reported that Union minister Mishra told local news agency ANI: “My son wasn’t present at the spot. There were miscreants who attacked workers with sticks and swords. Had my son been there, he wouldn’t have come out alive.”
The government has vowed to compensate the families of those who died and the retired judge has reportedly been nominated to investigate the incident, according to NDTV.