The Uttar Pradesh police on Monday, 4 October, filed a First Information Report (FIR) for murder against Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni, who allegedly ran his car over the protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri district of the state on Sunday, 3 October, reported NDTV.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh police detained Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who was staging a protest outside his house after not being allowed to visit Lakhimpur ditrcit. He had been placed under house arrest earlier.
Earlier, Lakhimpur Kheri District Magistrate AK Chaurasiya said the farmers are demanding the dismissal of Ajay Mishra.
"I've received a memorandum (from farmers), demanding the dismissal of MoS Home (AK Mishra), registration of FIR based on their complaint, payment of ex gratia, government jobs to the family of the deceased, and judicial probe into yesterday's (Sunday) incident," he said.
Opposition Leaders Placed Under House Arrest
Before being detained, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav called for the resignation of Ajay Mishra.
"Even the British did not commit such atrocities as much as the BJP government is doing on the farmers. The Minister of State for Home and the Deputy Chief Minister should resign. Rs 2 crore should be given to the farmers who have lost their lives. Their families should be given government jobs," he said, according to NDTV.
"The government does not want any political leaders to go there. What is the government hiding?"
Akhilesh was scheduled to visit Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the families of the victims. However, he was placed under house arrest and police forces had been deployed outside his home in Lucknow's Vikramaditya Marg.
He later participated in a sit-in protest outside his home.
Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Pramod Tiwari, too, were also placed under house arrest at Tiwari's house in Lucknow. They were going to join Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was arrested on her way to meet farmers and kin of victims earlier on Monday morning, for providing legal aid.
Meanhwile, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati said the party's national general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP SC Mishra was placed under house arrest late on Sunday night, which was still continuing.
BJP leader Varun Gandhi asked UP CM Yogi Adityanath to take strict action against all those found guilty.
Section 144 Imposed in Lakhimpur Kheri
Earlier, Section 144 was imposed in Lakhimpur Kheri district on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the state's Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi.
Awasthi also asked the Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport authorities not to allow Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder S Randhawa to land at the airport.
"The government of Uttar Pradesh is issuing a decree not to allow me to come to the state. Have civil rights been suspended in Uttar Pradesh? If Section 144 is in Lakhimpur, then why is the dictatorial government stopping you from landing in Lucknow?" Bhupesh Baghel said in a tweet.
"Why are people being stopped from visiting Lakhimpur Kheri? Section 144 has been imposed in Lakhimpur Kheri then why isn't one allowed to land in Lucknow? Do people no longer have rights in UP? Does one need a visa to visit UP?" he later said, as per ANI.
"The way farmers have been treated shows their mentality. It shows that if you stand against them, you will be crushed: Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel on violence in Lakhimpur Kheri," he added.
Government Will Take Strict Action: Yogi Adityanath
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cancelled his scheduled visit to Shravasti and Bahraich districts on Monday in the backdrop of the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.
UP Minister Sidharth Nath Singh blamed the Opposition for taking advantage of the situation. "We're taking this matter seriously and it is under investigation. CM has said that culprits will be punished. Opposition is using the incident for political tourism and political competition as polls are around the corner," he said, as per ANI.
On Sunday, Adityanath had said strict action would be taken against the accused. “The government will go into the depth and expose elements involved in the incident and will take strict action against them," he was quoted as saying by India Today.
He said senior officials including additional chief secretary, appointment, personel and agriculture, additional director general (law and order), commissioner, Lucknow division and Inspector General (IG) Lucknow were present at the spot to maintain peace in the area. "The officials are also probing the incidents that had unfolded and the reasons for it," he added, reported The Times of India.
He urged people to maintain peace and calm in the region. "Before reaching any conclusion, wait for the investigation to finish,” he said, as per India Today.
UP to Give Rs 45 Lakh, Govt Job Each To Families of Deceased Farmers
The Uttar Pradesh government will be giving Rs 45 lakh and a government job to the families of the four farmers who died in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday, 3 October, Additional Director General (Law & Order) Prashant Kumar has said, reports ANI.
"The injured will be given Rs 10 lakh. FIR will be registered based on farmers' complaint. A retired high court judge will probe the matter," he further said.
Meanwhile, MoS Ajay Mishra Teni, father of the murder accused, wants Rs 50 lakh to be given to the families of each of the BJP workers who died on Sunday, 3 October. He also says the allegations against his son are baseless.
"I demand that Rs 50 lakh be given to the families of each BJP worker who were killed yesterday. The matter should be investigated either by CBI, SIT or by a sitting/retired judge and strict action be taken against the culprits," he said, as per ANI.
"BJP workers were attacked and killed with sticks & swords. Videos show some attackers asked our workers to say that I had asked them to mow down farmers. Allegations against my son are totally baseless. Had he been there, he would have been killed," he added.
Background
The police said as many as eight people died in the incident on Sunday, reported ANI. Arun Kumar Singh, the additional superintendent of Police, Lakhimpur Kheri, confirmed the deaths of eight people, including four farmers and four occupants of the vehicle(s) that allegedly ran over the farmers.
Meanwhile, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) said that one of the four farmers was allegedly shot dead by the minister's son, while the others were allegedly run over by the vehicles of his convoy, reported ANI.
Thousands of protesting farmers had occupied the helipad at Maharaja Agrasen Sports Ground, where the Deputy CM's helicopter was initially supposed to land. Due to the gathering, Maurya changed his plans and reached Lakhimpur at noon by road instead.
As per reports, Ashish Mishra reached the site to receive the deputy CM where farmers had gathered to protest when clashes erupted. After Mishra's car allegedly ran over three farmers, dozens of protestors set fire to two vehicles that injured farmers.
(With inputs from The Times of India, India Today and NDTV)
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