Watch: UP official's SUV crushes farmer's vegetables at market
A shocking video from Uttar Pradesh has surfaced online, wherein a white SUV of a senior government official can be seen repeatedly running over the vegetables spread out by a farmer for sale, during an anti-encroachment drive. The incident reportedly took place at a state government-run market in Hapur district, where the farmer was allegedly selling vegetables without permission. Watch here.
As the incident unfolded, fellow government officials stood looking
In the said mobile phone video, that has now gone viral, the vehicle of Sushil Kumar, the secretary of the market, is seen reversing and moving forward several times to crush the vegetables, while some people are seen removing plastic baskets out of the way. Reportedly, Kumar's driver was behind the wheels, while the officer was present nearby, in the market, locals said.
Here are the visuals from the spot
Those who don't have shops can apply for license: Officials
Although such anti-encroachment drives are common, the attitude of the official's driver was seen as high-handedness, and widely condemned on social-media. Later, Kumar said he reprimanded the driver on the spot. "(I) told him not to do such things and to tell me if there's any problem," he said. "We have told them (farmers) many times not to sit on the road," officers said.
Last week, a farmer broke down over rock-bottom selling prices
In a similar vein to this incident, another video, showcasing abysmal condition of farmers had recently gone viral. In the video, a farmer from Ahmednagar, Maharashtra can be seen crying after having to sell his onion crop at a meagre price of Rs. 8/Kg. "How do I feed my family," he had asked. Meanwhile, retail onion prices are shooting up for consumers.