Son’s revolver allegedly used in murder, Union minister claims he is innocent

After Union minister for state for home affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni, another Union minister from Uttar Pradesh Kaushal Kishore is in the news due to a controversy associated with his son whose licensed revolver was allegedly used in the murder of a 26-year-old man in Lucknow early on Friday.

The police recovered the man’s body from the residence of Vikas Kishore, Kaushal Kishore’s son, at Begariya Kala village in Lucknow early on Friday. The police also recovered Vikas’s licensed revolver from the spot. An accused identified as Ankit Verma confessed to the murder, according to the police.

While the family members of the deceased Vinay Srivastava alleged foul play, Kaushal Kishore said his son Vikas was not in Lucknow at the time of the incident and had left for Delhi by a flight on Thursday evening, leaving his revolver at home.

Kaushal Kishore, who represents Mohanlalganj Lok Sabha seat in Lucknow district, was in his constituency to celebrate Raksha Bandhan on Thursday.

“After receiving information about the recovery of a body at the family house, I rushed there and informed the police. I do not know how the incident took place. The police will investigate the case,” he said.

After the death of his younger son Akash Kishore in October 2020 due to liver cirrhosis, Kaushal had launched a campaign against drug abuse in Lucknow and adjoining districts. He organised meetings in villages, schools and colleges to administer a pledge against alcohol consumption to people and students.

A prominent Dalit leader of Central Uttar Pradesh, Kaushal Kishore started his political journey as a member of the Community Party of India (CPI).

He organised meetings in villages on public and social issues, raised his voice against exploitation and discrimination, organised padyatra and demonstrations at the government offices to establish himself as a powerful leader of the Pasi community.

Kaushal contested the 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1996 assembly elections on a CPI ticket from Malihabad, a seat reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates but lost. He contested the 1998 Lok Sabha election on a CPI ticket from Mohanlalganj but lost. In 2001, the CPI expelled him on the charge of indiscipline and anti-party activities.

He contested the 2002 assembly election from Malihabad as an independent candidate and defeated senior Samajwadi Party leader Gauri Shankar. He floated Rashtrawadi Community Party (RCP) and supported the Samajwadi Party led by Mulayam Singh Yadav in formation of the government in 2003 and earned a cabinet berth as labour minister.

Kaushal contested the 2007 and 2012 assembly elections on the RCP ticket but lost. In 2013, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by merging the RCP with the BJP. He was made state president of the BJP’s scheduled caste wing. The BJP fielded him from Mohanlalganj in 2014 Lok Sabha election and he bagged the seat, Bahujan Samaj Party candidate RK Chaudhary. He was re-elected from Mohanlalganj in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, defeating the SP- BSP alliance candidate CL Verma.

Kaushal not only assisted the BJP in making inroads in SP and BSP strongholds in Central UP but also contributed to weaning away the Pasi community from the BSP.

The BJP fielded his wife Jai Devi from Malihabad in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections, she won on both occasions, consolidating her party’s hold on the area that was once a strong Samajwadi Party fort.

The BJP rewarded Kaushal Kishore by appointing him as Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs in July 2021.

As for Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni, his son Ashish Mishra is the prime accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case of October 3, 2021 in which eight people were killed and several injured.