LUCKNOW: While a video clip has gone viral and doing rounds on various social media platforms showing a black SUV apparently mowing down protesting farmers has added fuel to fire over the death of eight people including four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday, Union minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra has reportedly been summoned to Delhi.
Highly-placed sources claimed that after the video went viral, Ajay Mishra would soon be going to Delhi as he had been reportedly summoned by Union Home Minister Amit Shah with full details on the Lakhimpur incident. The minister would also be meeting senior leaders of Sangh Parivar and apprise them of all the developments which took place in Lakhimpur Kheri, said the sources.
However, Mishra reiterated his son’s innocence in the case on Tuesday. He said that he would resign from his post if there was a single piece of evidence indicating his son Ashish’s presence at the spot of violence on the fateful day.
"I will resign from minister’s post if a single proof surfaces of my son being present on the spot where the incident happened in Lakhimpur Kheri," said Ajay Mishra while talking to media persons on Tuesday.
Eight people, including four farmers, had lost their lives on Sunday as violence had broken out during a farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri. Farmers' outfits have claimed that a car carrying son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra ploughed into the group of protesting farmers.
Notably, in the FIR lodged against Ashish Mishra and 15-20 unidentified persons on the basis of the complaint filed by the protesting farmers, total eight Sections of IPC including 302 (murder), 304-A (rash or negligent act leading to death), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) , 338 (causing grievous hurt) , 279 (rash driving), 147, 148 and 149 for rioting and armed with deadly weapon, have been invoked against the accused.
The FIR says: “Ashish Mishra alias Monu, accompanied by his 15-20 aides with loaded weapons and riding 3-4 four wheelers, came rushing to Tikunia in Kheri where the farmers had gathered.”
“Ashish Mishra was sitting on the left seat in his Thar Mahindra vehicle which ran over the protesting farmers trampling them while he (Ashish) was firing with his weapon,” says the FIR. It adds: “Due to firing, farmer Gurvinder Singh, 22 years of age, received a bullet shot and died on the spot.”
The number of the two vehicles allegedly used in the crime by the accused are also quoted in the FIR as UP31AS 1000 and UP32 KM0036. An unidentified vehicle is also mentioned in the FIR.
Meanwhile, tweeting the video showing the SUVs running into the group of farmers with speed, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Lucknow on Tuesday, as to why the driver of the vehicle had not been arrested yet.
Priyanka tweeted the video clip along with a message for the PM wherein she has questioned why the son of the minister was still out of police net while she was in police custody illegally for more than 30 hours without any warrant. The 29-second video clip, which also shows another vehicle following the SUV, has raised questions on the version of the incident by Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni who had claimed that the vehicle was attacked by farmers which led to the accident.
Deependar Hooda tweeted from Sitapur : “Those who trampled farmers are roaming free while we are in custody for 36 hours. While victim farmers’ families are mourning the death of their dear ones, Utsav is going on in Lucknow.”
Even BJP MP from adjoining Pilibhit Varun Gandhi also joined the opposition’s demand for a probe into the video, saying those responsible for deliberately ploughing through the farmers should be arrested.
Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh tweeted the same video, raising questions about the minister’s claims. “It can be clearly seen in the video that farmers were mowed down but the Union minister’s son was saying that he was busy in a wrestling competition in the village.”
Teni had claimed that his son Ashish Mishra, who is now booked for murder, was not present in the vehicle when the incident took place. He had said the protesters started pelting stones and attacked the vehicle after which the driver lost control and the vehicle ran over farmers.
An FIR has been registered against Ashish Misra in connection with the violence.