Basti: The Bharthiya Kisan Union (BKU) agitation in Uttar Pradesh seeking higher purchase price for sugarcane and payment of arrears spread to more areas on December 13 even as the farmers vowed to continue with the agitation till the government accepted their demands completely.

Two days after the police firing incident in Munderwa in Basti district that left a few farmers killed and many injured, the BKU protest spread to the neighbouring Maharajganj and parts of Sant Kabirnagar districts with activists damaging government vehicles, reports said.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Radhey Shyam Tripathi said rail services were restored since the night of December 12 and contingents of Rapid Action Force (RAF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) had been deployed to protect the tracks from any damage.

Railway sources said property worth over Rs one crore was damaged during the BKU agitation.

A panchayat of over 5000 BKU activists was held in Bodwal village of Munderwa police station area on December 12 and it was decided to continue the agitation till all the demands were accepted, Prahlad Chaudhary, divisional in-charge of BKU said.

He alleged that three farmers had been killed in the December 11 police firing and demanded an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

The three victims were cremated in the presence of their family members and police, the police official said.

Meanwhile, the state president of BKU Rajesh Singh Chauhan said in Fatehpur that BKU president, Mahendra Singh Tikait would reach Basti on December 14 to take part in the agitation.

PTI