The Uttar Pradesh Police will file an application before a court in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday seeking custody of accused Ashish Mishra in the incident that claimed the lives of eight people last week. Mishra was arrested on Saturday night, after 12 hours of interrogation by the Crime Branch of Uttar Pradesh Police, in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and was later sent to judicial custody. The local court will hear the matter on 11 October on whether Mishra, who is the son of Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home, Ajay Mishra Teni, son should be sent to police custody or not.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of several farmer unions, alleged that Ashish Mishra arrived with three vehicles around the time that farmers were dispersing from their protest at the helipad and mowed down farmers and towards the end also attacked SKM leader Tajinder Singh Virk directly, by trying to run a vehicle over him. Ashish Mishra refuted SKM’s allegations by saying he was not present at the spot where the incident took place.
Two accused identified as Luvkush and Ashish Pandey were arrested earlier in connection with the incident.
In other developments, BJP MP Varun Gandhi said an attempt was being made to portray the Lakhimpur Kheri violence as a Hindu versus Sikh battle which is a false narrative and leaders must not put petty political gains above national unity. The MP did not mention the names of those who were attempting to do so. “An attempt to turn Lakhimpur Kheri into a Hindu vs Sikh battle is being made. Not only is this an immoral and false narrative, it is dangerous to create these fault-lines and reopen wounds that have taken a generation to heal. We must not put petty political gains above national unity,” Gandhi tweeted.
Varun Gandhi’s cousin and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Sunday that the Prime Minister was silent over the alleged murders of farmers and BJP workers in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, rising inflation, the surge in the oil price, and unemployment in the country.
“PM silent- Rising inflation – oil price, unemployment, farmer and BJP worker murdered, PM violent- Lack of camera and photo ops, true criticism, Question on friends,” tweeted the MP from Kerala’s Wayanad.
While speaking at a rally in Saharanpur, Akhilesh Yadav too raised the Lakhimpur issue and congratulated the farmers for not stepping back from their agitation. “We saw the deed of the people in power. We saw their action in Lakhimpur Kheri. Farmers were mowed down by vehicles. There were preparations to mow down the law too. Those who can mow down farmers and the law, can also crush the Constitution.” “Farmers are our annadaata. They have to face insults today. Farmers are being called ‘mawali’. They (the Uttar Pradesh government ) call them terrorists. I’d like to congratulate the farmers that they didn’t step back from their agitation even after being insulted by the BJP numerous times,” he added.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the Prime Minister came to UP but did not visit Lakhimpur Kheri. “The Chief Minister is shielding the minister from public forum. Prime Minister came to Lucknow to see the performance of ‘Uttam Pradesh’ and Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav but could not go to Lakhimpur Kheri to share the grief of the victim families,” Gandhi said while addressing a “Kisan Nyay” rally in Varanasi on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had accused the opposition parties of seeking to derive political mileage from Lakhimpur Kheri violence in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. He also took a dig at Congress for its internal problems in Punjab. “Politics is being done in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident to gain political mileage in the upcoming UP Assembly election. They are not interested in getting justice for victims,” Joshi had told a news agency. Answering a question on Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu holding protests over Lakhimpur Kheri violence, he said, “Congress wants to gain political mileage”.”They cannot deal with their own problems in Punjab. The Congress should first clarify whether Sidhu is still the Congress party president in Punjab,” he said.
On Saturday in Patna, Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh had said that Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Lakhimpur Kheri was “political tourism”. “Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Lakhimpur Kheri is merely an instance of political tourism. There is no genuine sympathy and compassion involved. Wherever Congress and the other opposition parties get a chance, they go ahead with their political tourism. I would like to ask why did Rahul Gandhi not visit the family of the journalist killed in that incident? Why has he not visited Kashmir to meet families of people who are being killed over there?” Singh said while talking to the media.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait had tried to absolve the murderers of the BJP workers and a driver at Lakhimpur Kheri by describing the action as not murder. He said that it was a “reaction”. “There was no planning involved and that doesn’t amount to murder.”
Tikait said at a press conference that said if two cars collide on a road, then the two sides come out and start fighting: “What is it? It is a reaction only. That does not come under murder, I don’t consider it murder.”