Opposition turns up heat with Lakhimpur Kheri videos

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 5

Opposition leaders on Tuesday turned up the heat on the Uttar Pradesh Government, citing a video showing an SUV mowing down protesters, and with plans afoot for a joint political offensive against the ruling BJP on the issue.

Editorial: Mowing down protest: If video clip is genuine, Centre should act now

Also read: Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish fired, his vehicle rammed into farmers: FIR

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Punjab-origin MPs from Canada, UK heartbroken after seeing images of ‘brutal killings of farmers' in Lakhimpur Kheri

Sharing a video clip from her place of arrest at UP’s Sitapur today, Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadra asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to see the images of farmers being run over and tell why MoS (Home) Ajay Mishra’s son, accused of driving the vehicle, had not been arrested yet and why the minister had not been sacked.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, BJP MP Varun Gandhi and AAP leader Sanjay Singh too shared the video with Varun terming it soul-shaking.

The AAP, SP, BSP and Congress reiterated their demands for sacking Mishra and arresting his son with a TMC delegation meeting the families of deceased farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri today, in signs of exploding political activity ahead of 2022 UP elections. Rahul Gandhi is also expected to visit Lakhimpur tomorrow and hosted Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut this evening to mull joint opposition strategy on the issue even as RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary cited the breakdown of law and order to demand President’s Rule in UP. No arrests had been made until Tuesday evening in the Sunday violence that killed eight persons, including four farmers.

UP cops, however, booked Priyanka Vadra, MP Deepender Hooda and some others for disturbing peace, an action the Congress termed illegal.

While families of three of the four deceased farmers reluctantly performed the last rites today after the BKU’s Rakesh Tikait intervened, anger in the area was palpable after a video of an SUV running over farmers stoked emotions. “Do you need any more evidence?” asked a Lakhimpur Kheri farmer, Gurdial Singh, lamenting the attack on his friends who died while on protest. Kin of deceased Gurwinder Singh, 19, allegedly killed by gunshot injuries on Sunday, meanwhile refused to cremate the boy and demanded a second post-mortem that should be videographed. The state said senior officials would take a call on the demand.

Vadra tweeted the viral video of the SUV asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Have you seen this video Modi ji? It shows the son of a minister running over farmers with his vehicles. Please see this and tell why this man is still at large and why has the minister not been sacked?” She took a jibe at the PM, who was in Lucknow today for ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations. Later in a statement, Vadra said she and Deepender Hooda had not been permitted to see lawyers.

Family of one of the victims insists on 2nd autopsy

• Families of three of the four deceased farmers performed their last rites on Tuesday
• Family members of Gurwinder Singh (19), allegedly killed by gunshot injuries on Sunday, refused to cremate the body, demanding a second post-mortem

‘I’ve been arrested, but shown no FIR’

I have been arrested under Section 151, as verbally informed by a police officer. I haven’t been served any notice nor shown an FIR by the police. — Priyanka Vadra,

Congress

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