India News | Sack, Arrest Union Minister over Lakhimpur Case: BKU

Ghaziabad, Dec 14 (PTI) The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) on Tuesday demanded that Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra 'Teni' be sacked and arrested over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

The BKU, which is a part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) that spearheaded the anti-farm laws campaign against the Centre, said the farmers' struggle would continue till the minister's arrest.

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The demand came after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the October 2 violence urged a Lakhimpur Kheri court to replace lesser charges in the case like causing death by negligence with attempt to murder, saying it was a "pre-planned conspiracy causing death".

The violence, in which the minister's son, Ashish Mishra, along with some others, is accused, had resulted in the killing of eight people, including four farmers and a couple of local BJP workers.

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“A new fact, in fact a truth has emerged today after the SIT probe into the Tikonia violence episode, which is the minister's son, Ashish Mishra, and his associates had conspired the killing of farmers. The farmers were mowed down under a vehicle as per a conspiracy,” BKU spokesperson Dharmendra Malik said.

“We have been saying this from day one that the minister and his son are involved in this episode,” he said.

“When the son of a minister hatches such a plan, there is no doubt that the minister is also involved in it but he continues to be a part of the central ministry!”Malik added.

He said the Samkyukta Kisan Morcha once again appeals that Union MoS Home Ajay Mishra 'Teni' be sacked immediately and since the Indian Penal Code section 120B, among other sections, has been invoked in the case, so he be arrested and sent to jail.

“If the government does not do it, then it would be incomplete justice and unacceptable to us. The farmers' struggle would continue till the minister's arrest,” Malik said.

The October 2 violence, which took place during a farmers' protest in the Tikonia area of Lakhimpur Kheri, has snowballed into a major political controversy in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, with the state police so far arresting around a dozen people, including the minister's son Ashish Mishra.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)