Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Will quit if son found guilty, says MoS Ajay Misra as new video surfaces

Lakhimpur Kheri: Union Minister of State for Home (MoS) Ajay Misra has said that he would resign from his post if there was a single piece of evidence about his son’s involvement in the violence that broke out in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday. 

Speaking to a TV news channel, Misra said, “I will resign from ministership if a single proof surfaces of my son being on the spot where the incident happened in Lakhimpur Kheri.”

On Monday, an FIR was filed against Ajay Misra Teni`s son, Ashish Misra Teni in connection with the case. Speaking to ANI later, Misra said that his son is ready to depose before any investigating agency.

"An FIR has been registered. In our country, there is a rule of law and everyone has a right to file a complaint. During the evidence collection, everything will become clear. Investigators can check our call detail record, mobile location etc. It will become crystal clear that my son was not at the spot when the incident happened. My son is ready to depose before investigating agencies," he said. 

Regarding the purported video of a van running over the protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, Teni said, "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."

He also said, "All the victims, including BJP workers who were killed in the clash, will get compensation of Rs 45 lakh and the injured people will receive Rs 10 lakh."

Earlier, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) issued a statement regarding the incident claiming the death of four farmers and alleged that one of the four farmers was shot dead by Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Misra Teni`s son, while the others were allegedly run over by the vehicles of his convoy. 

Amid all this, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday shared a video clip purportedly showing an SUV mowing down farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi why no action has been taken against the accused.

 

.@narendramodi जी आपकी सरकार ने बग़ैर किसी ऑर्डर और FIR के मुझे पिछले 28 घंटे से हिरासत में रखा है।

अन्नदाता को कुचल देने वाला ये व्यक्ति अब तक गिरफ़्तार नहीं हुआ। क्यों? pic.twitter.com/0IF3iv0Ypi — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) October 5, 2021

 

The authenticity of the video has not yet been verified.

While Rahul Gandhi shared the purported footage on Facebook, Priyanka Gandhi as well as AAP leader Sanjay Singh posted the video on Twitter.

"Modi Ji, you are coming to Lucknow to celebrate the Amrit Mahotsav of independence, but have you seen this video. This video shows how the son of a minister in your government has mowed down farmers. Please see this video and tell the country why this minister has not yet been dismissed and this boy not yet arrested," Priyanka Gandhi asked two days after eight people were killed during a farmers' protest in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district.

The Congress general secretary asked the Prime Minister, in Lucknow on Tuesday to inaugurate a programme of the 'Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav' celebrations, to visit Lakhimpur Kheri and give justice to the farmers.

 

मोदी जी,

हत्यारे अभी तक गिरफ़्तार क्यों नहीं हुए?

इनका संरक्षक केंद्रीय मंत्री और मुख्यमंत्री योगी अभी तक पदों पर कैसे बने हुए हैं?

हत्यारों को गिरफ़्तार कीजिए व दोनों संरक्षकों को बर्खास्त कीजिए।

वर्ना स्वीकार कीजिए कि आप ही इन सबके मुख्य संरक्षक हैं !#मोदी_लखीमपुर_जाओ — Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) October 5, 2021

 

While four of the dead in Sunday's incident were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, the others were BJP workers and their driver who were allegedly lynched. 

On Monday, police registered a murder case against Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, and several others over the death of the farmers.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the country's Constitution was in danger. Humanity is also in danger if people do not get disturbed by seeing the video, he said.

"If a Minister's son mows down agitating farmers under his car, then the country's Constitution is in danger. If he not taken into custody even after the appearance of this video, then the country's Constitution is in danger. If a woman leader is kept in custody for 30 hours without an FIR, then the country's constitution is in danger," he said in a Facebook post.

Addressing PM Modi, the Congress leader added that his government had kept her in custody for the last 28 hours without any order and FIR.

Priyanka Gandhi also asked why opposition leaders like her have been detained without any FIR or order and why the accused are moving around freely and have not been arrested. Sanjay Singh echoed her on the microblogging site. What more proof is required after sharing the purported video, he said.

Ajay Misra and his son Ashish have demanded a judicial probe into the violence. The minister has denied his son's presence at the crime scene and cited an alibi that he was at a local school where a wrestling match was underway on Sunday.

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