Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son booked for murder, UP strikes conditional truce with protesters

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4

Uneasy calm prevailed in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday with Opposition leaders, including Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, detained on their way to the violence-hit region and the state administration striking a conditional truce with protesters, a day after eight persons, including four farmers, were killed in clashes.

Editorial: Lakhimpur Kheri violence

Also read: Lakhimpur violence: Counter FIR against farmers on BJP men’s death

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Assurance on probe

UP Additional DG (Law & Order) Alok Prashant Kumar, in a joint press meet with BKU’s Rakesh Tikait, said those behind the violence would be arrested within eight days and the matter probed by a retired HC judge.

MoS video to blame?

A purported video of MoS Ajay Kumar Mishra in which he is heard telling farmers, “Face me, it will take just two minutes to discipline you fellows,” appears to have angered them even before the Sunday clashes.

Congress’ sit-in today

The Congress has announced a nationwide sit-in outside DC offices on Tuesday against the ‘suppression’ of farmers with party leader Rajiv Shukla saying protests would take place from Kashmir to Kanyakumari’.

The families of the deceased farmers agreed to perform the last rites after reaching an understanding with the state administration which announced a compensation of Rs 45 lakh to kin of each of the deceased along with a government job and Rs 10 lakh to each of the injured.

At a press conference with BKU’s Rakesh Tikait, UP Additional DG (Law and Order) Alok Prashant Kumar said an FIR had been registered on the complaint of the farmers and arrests would be made in eight days. “The matter will be probed by a retired judge of the High Court,” the DG said, adding the bodies would be handed over to the families after postmortem.

A murder case was meanwhile registered by the UP Police today against the son of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra, who continued to deny the charge that his son’s vehicle had mowed down four farmers on Sunday. Four companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed in Lakhimpur Kheri and prohibitory orders extended until December 31.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), which petitioned President Ram Nath Kovind demanding Mishra’s dismissal and a probe into the Sunday violence by a sitting SC judge, confirmed the agreement between the protesting farmers and the UP administration. It , however, slammed the UP Government’s serial detentions of political leaders who wanted to meet the victims’ families. Among those detained were SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Punjab Deputy CM Sukhjinder Randhawa. The UP Government did not allow Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel to land in Lucknow, prompting Baghel to ask if a passport or visa was needed to enter UP.

Priyanka Vadra clashed with the cops in the wee hours on being stopped at the Lakhimpur border and sent to the Sitapur guest house, where she was later video-taped sweeping the floor. Congress MP Deepender Hooda, who accompanied her, was also detained.

“The police took the keys of our car. They tried to shove us into vehicles without showing us an arrest order. This is kidnapping...,” Vadra said, with Rahul Gandhi supporting her in a tweet.

Denied entry into Lakhimpur

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