Death of four protesting farmers: Congress seeks Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s sacking, son’s arrest

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Monday demanded the dismissal of minister of state for home affairs Ajay Mishra and the arrest of his son over the latter’s alleged involvement in the death of four protesting farmers at Lakhimpur in Uttar Pradesh. The AICC also called upon its supporters to stage protests against the mowing down of farmers at Lakhimpur and also over the detention of senior party leader Priyanka Vadra and others by the Uttar Pradesh administration.

In a statement, AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said: “It is not a coincident that Union home minister Ajay Mishra’s son led this gruesome murder, as the minister himself threatened the peacefully protesting farmers with violence… The Congress party demands his immediate sacking from the post and arrest of those responsible for this incident… It is a shame that the prime minister and home minister, to whom the minister directly reports, have not uttered a word on this cold blooded murder.”

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, whose aircraft was not allowed to land at Lucknow airport – from where he was to proceed to Lakhimpur – returned to Delhi to hold a press conference at the Congress headquarters and targeted the Yogi regime. “The protesting farmers have been crushed in UP. It’s their message that if anyone protests against them, they will be crushed. The citizens’ right stand curbed in UP,” Baghel said. “I would like to know on what grounds I was not allowed to land in Lucknow… Do we need passports and visas to visit Uttar Pradesh now?”