Lakhimpur violence: AAP questions PM Modi's silence, demands removal of MoS Ajay Mishra

The Aam Aadmi Party AAP on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modis silence on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence and demanded that Ajay Kumar Mishra be immediately removed as the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs to ensure that an impartial probe is conducted into the incident in Uttar Pradesh.It also demanded that Mishras son who is an accused in the case be immediately arrested.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence and demanded that Ajay Kumar Mishra be ''immediately'' removed as the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs to ensure that an impartial probe is conducted into the incident in Uttar Pradesh.

It also demanded that Mishra's son who is an accused in the case be immediately arrested. Eight people were killed in the violence that erupted during a farmers' protest.

The party raised questions on the Uttar Pradesh government's handling of the situation, alleging that the way internet services have been blocked and opposition leaders as well as mediapersons barred from entering the area is a reminder of the situation that had emerged after the gang rape and murder of a Dalit girl in Hathras last year.

''Clearly, it's Hathras model. Both the state government and the Union government are attempting to hush up and cover up the incident of Lakhimpur Kheri violence,'' AAP's chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj told a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi.

He alleged that everyone in Lakhimpur knows about criminal background of Mishra, who had recently given an open threat to the farmers, asking them to find out about his background.

''When people from Lakhimpur told me about the kind of criminal background that he (Mishra) comes from, I was surprised how could he become an MP and how is it possible that the prime minister inducted him into his Council of Ministers. Mishra should immediately be sacked as Union Minister of State for Home Affairs,'' Bharadwaj said.

''I want to ask Prime Minister as to why is he silent on this matter? Why has he not removed Mishra from his Council of Ministers? Why every opposition leader is being stopped from going there (Lakhimpur)? Why internet services have been blocked. Even making an ordinary phone call to anyone in Lahimpur now has become so difficult. All these things remind (us) of the Hathras incident,'' he said.

The AAP leader said that his party will launch a nationwide protest against the Lakhimpur violence and hold a candlelight protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Monday, demanding immediate removal of Mishra as minister, arrest of his son who is an accused in the case, restoration of internet services and permission to all those who want to visit Lakhimpur and meet the family members of the farmers who were killed in Sunday's violence.

Earlier in the day, AAP MP Sanjay Singh demanded that Mishra should immediately be removed as the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs to ensure that an impartial probe is conducted into the violence.

The AAP leader also said that he was stopped by police in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur when he was en route to Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the family members of farmers killed on Sunday.

Eight people were killed -- four farmers allegedly run over and four people in a convoy of BJP workers who were lynched -- on Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers' protest.

Farmer leaders had claimed that the minister's son Ashish Mishra was in one of the cars which they alleged knocked down some protesters.

However, Ajay Mishra said he and his son were not present at the spot as alleged by some farmer leaders and he has photo and video evidence to prove it.

AAP leader Singh also demanded that a court-monitored probe by a special investigation team (SIT) be conducted into the incident of violence.

The dependents of each of the farmers, killed in the violence, should be given a compensation of Rs 1 crore and those injured in the incident should also be given "a fair compensation", he told PTI.

Singh also demanded that the Union government must withdraw the three "black farm laws" against which farmers have been protesting for the last 10 months.

''How can an impartial probe be conducted in the matter when the accused's father, under whom the CBI and the police come, continues to remain in his post?'' he asked.

The AAP leader said he was stopped by the police and the local administration at Biswan in Sitapur around 2.30 am while he was going to Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the family members of the farmers killed in the violence and pay his condolences.

''This is a dictatorship. How unfortunate it is that a parliamentarian cannot meet the family members of the farmers who died in the violence and pay condolences. I am not going to move from here. I will stay here," Singh said.

Senior AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia trained guns at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after police stopped Singh, saying tears of the family members of the farmers killed in the Lakhimpur violence will weigh heavy on him.

''Farmers were killed, and MP Sanjay Singh, who was on his way to meet the family members of those farmers and pay his condolences, has been kept halted on the roadside since late last night,'' Sisodia said in a tweet in Hindi.

''Yogiji, tears of the family members of the farmers will weigh heavy on you,'' he added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)