Lakhimpur Kheri: Priyanka Gandhi sticks to her demand, says Union minister must resign

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday reiterated her demand for the resignation of Union minister Ajay Mishra whose son allegedly ran over an SUV on protesting farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh. “The Union minister needs to resign to ensure an unbiased investigation,” the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Uttar Pradesh said, adding that “justice is a right in a democracy”.

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“Justice is a right in a democracy,” the ANI news agency quoted Priyanka Gandhi as saying. “I will continue my fight for justice. All the affected families I met yesterday only demanded justice. The Union minister needs to resign to ensure an unbiased investigation.”

Priyanka Gandhi was speaking to reporters the morning after her visit to Lakhimpur Kheri, which is around a four-hour drive from the state capital, Lucknow. “All the affected families I met yesterday only demanded justice,” she said. “The police force was used to stop the opposition leaders but not to arrest the accused.” There, Priyanka alleged that the voices of justice for the farmer are being muffled by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state.

Notably, the Uttar Pradesh police have alleged that the Congress leaders are “disturbing peace” in the state and registered an FIR against Priyanka Gandhi and 11 others.

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A total of eight people including four farmers died in the violence that took place in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of several farmer unions, alleged that Ashish Mishra Teni, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni 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.

However, Ashish Mishra refuted SKM's allegations and said he was not present at the spot where the incident took place. MoS Teni also said that his son was not present at the spot, adding that some miscreants mingled with protesting farmers and pelted the stones at the car which lead to the ‘unfortunate incident’.

(With inputs from ANI)