Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a Congress leader, wrote Prime Minister Narendra Modi a letter on Saturday, imploring him not to share the stage with Union Minister Ajay Mishra ‘Teni,’ whose son was arrested in connection with the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri. She also requested that Mishra be fired. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Lucknow for the DGP convention.
“Don’t share the dais with Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra if your intentions concerning farmers are apparent.” In a letter to Prime Minister Modi, Gandhi remarked, “Dismiss him.” Gandhi’s letter comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated that his government would abolish three divisive farm regulations that have sparked nationwide demonstrations.
The violence in Lakhimpur on October 3 claimed the lives of eight people, including farmers. Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish is one of the 13 people detained in connection with the deaths. A convoy of three vehicles, including Ajay Mishra’s Mahindra Thar SUV, mowed down all of the victims.
प्रधानमंत्री जी,
अगर देश के किसानों के प्रति आपकी नीयत सचमुच साफ है, तो आज अपने केंद्रीय गृह राज्य मंत्री अजय मिश्र टेनी के साथ डीजीपी कांफ्रेंस में मंच पर विराजमान मत होइए, उनको बर्ख़ास्त कीजिए।कांग्रेस महासचिव श्रीमती @priyankagandhi का पीएम मोदी को पत्र। pic.twitter.com/dVNoGSMski
— Congress (@INCIndia) November 20, 2021
Shots were allegedly fired during the event, according to villagers. However, autopsies have revealed that none of the five men — nor the three more who died in the subsequent violence that day — were shot.
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) examined four guns seized by the Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) as part of its investigation into the incident. Three of these weapons were discovered to have been discharged: Ashish’s rifle, a handgun belonging to Ankit Das, a nephew of former Union minister Akhilesh Das, and a repeater gun carried by Das’s bodyguard Lateef.
While the FSL report does not specify when the shots were discharged, the officer said that the accused must now show proof that they did not fire the firearms on October 3.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has selected Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, a retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, to oversee the investigation.
