Lakhimpur violence: Will resign if son is found guilty, says Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra

Union minister Ajay Mishra’s remark comes after Cong’s Priyanka Gandhi tweets video that shows an SUV, in which Ashish Mishra was travelling, mowing down farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri

Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra, whose son Ashish Mishra was allegedly in the convoy that mowed down farmers, on Tuesday said he would resign if his son is found guilty. “I will resign from my post if a single proof emerges of my son being on the spot where the incident happened in Lakhimpur Kheri [on Sunday],” he said. The minister had earlier claimed that Ashish, who was booked in the case on Monday, was not at the site.

Ajay Mishra’s remarks came after Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday morning tweeted a video that showed an SUV mowing down a group of protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. “In that video, one can clearly see that the driver who mowed down farmers was beaten to death on the spot. So, (by that logic) my son would have been killed if he had run over the farmers,” Mishra said. The FIR filed by the UP police in the matter said Ashish alias Monu was sitting in the car that mowed down farmers and he also opened fire at them.

Ajay Kumar Mishra, union minister of state for home

“Around 3 pm, Ashish along with 15-20 armed men in three speeding four-wheelers reached the protest spot in Banbirpur. Monu Mishra opened gunfire while he was seated on the left side of his Mahindra Thar, which mowed down the crowd and sped ahead,” stated the FIR seen by PTI. Because of the firing, farmer Gurvinder Singh died. The FIR added, “Ashish’s speeding vehicle overturned on the side of the road, leading to injuries to several other people. Ashish Mishra escaped from the car, opened fire and hid in a sugarcane field.”

While Ashish and 15-20 unnamed people were mentioned as accused and charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, rash driving, rioting, among others, his father was not named in the FIR. Lakhimpur Kheri Inspector General Lakshmi Singh said, “Currently, we are planning to form a local-level team to have a fair investigation in the case.”

Screengrab shows a farmer being hit by an SUV at Lakhimpur Kheri district of UP on Sunday

Meanwhile, the Sitapur police on Tuesday arrested Priyanka Gandhi after detaining her for over 24 hours, along with 10 others to prevent breach of peace. “A total of 11 people have been arrested by us,” the Indian Express quoted Hargaon Station House Officer Brijesh Kumar Tripathi as saying. IANS reported that the guest house where she has been under detention since Monday has been notified as a temporary jail.

‘Priyanka in jail, while minister roams free’

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said the if the law was equal for everyone then why should Priyanka Gandhi be in jail while the “minister” roamed about free. Raut said there was a need for joint action by political parties against this “oppression” by Yogi Adityanath-led UP government.

The Congress also asked why the Union minister’s son has not been arrested yet and the minister dismissed. Party leader Ashwani Kumar also asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not meet the families of the eight people who died in the Lakhimpur incident even though he was in Lucknow Tuesday for an ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’ event.

Congress activists protest in Patna on Tuesday. Pic/PTI

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar on Tuesday drew parallel between the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and said people will show the BJP its place and the party will have to pay a heavy price for the violence. He also demanded a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge.

C’garh CM sits on dharna at airport

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel sat on a dharna at Lucknow airport on Tuesday after he was prevented from going out. “Why am I being stopped? I am not going to Lakhimpur where there are prohibitory orders in place. I am only going to PCC [and to meet Priyanka Gandhi],” he asked the cops.

‘Revoke farm laws for harmony’

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday said the revocation of the three farm laws brought by the Centre, in toto, will alone lead to harmony in the country. “Farmers have been protesting for the past 300 days against the farm laws and the ongoing events in UP are the result of the Centre’s indifference to their  demands,” he said.

Journalist among 8 killed in UP

A 28-year-old journalist was among the eight people killed in the Lakh-impur Kheri violence. Local journalists have demanded a compens-ation of R50 lakh to Raman Kashyap’s kin and a job for his wife. His father Ram Dulare said Kashyap was covering the farmers’ protest on Sunday when he was hit by a vehicle and got injured. He died on Monday. His family said he is survived by his wife and two children, a son and a daughter.

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