New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday, December 15, witnessed vociferous protests from a united opposition which sought the dismissal of Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’ over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which four farmers were run over by a vehicle which was part of a BJP minister’s son’s convoy on October 3. A Special Investigation Team report had on Tuesday stated that the violence was part of a “pre-planned conspiracy” and not a “freak accident”.
Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi had earlier given an adjournment motion notice to seek a discussion on the SIT report. When the House assembled, party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and T.R. Baalu of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) demanded that the speaker allow a discussion on the matter.
However, speaker Om Birla refused the demand saying, “The House shouldn’t set wrong practices. The Question Hour should run. We can discuss it later.”
Not satisfied with the speaker’s argument, the opposition members insisted on a discussion. They also moved into the well of the House raising slogans that demanded that “murderers of farmers should be suspended” and urging Modi to sack Mishra. Despite the slogan shouting by the opposition leaders, the House took up the questions during the Question Hour.
Later, Gandhi charged that the opposition was not being allowed to speak in the house on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. “They are not allowing us to speak in the house. We are saying that a report has come out which says that the minister [Ajay Misra] was involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. The matter must be discussed. But they [government] are not allowing discussion,” he said, adding that “the minister must resign”.
The SIT had filed an application before the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) to include new sections against the 13 accused – including Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra – to make their offence punishable under attempt to murder charges. The application filed by SIT investigating officer Vidhyaram Diwakar had urged the court to add new sections in the warrant. He had also insisted that the incident was a well planned and a deliberate act and not one that happened due to negligence or callousness.
Various farmers’ unions have also called for Mishra to be sacked from the Union cabinet.Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Mishra on Wednesday manhandled a journalist who was trying to ask him about the SIT’s decision to charge his son and other Lakhimpur Kheri accused with ‘attempt to murder’.
A video, tweeted by journalists, shows Mishra first appearing incensed with questions, asking a reporter to switch off the video recording on his phone and then lunging at another journalist. The incident took place while Mishra was inaugurating an oxygen plant. The minister asked the journalist to switch off his mic and camera, accusing him of asking “stupid questions”.
