India: Congress Demands Resignation of Federal Minister Over Lakhimpur Kheri Violence – Video

Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri District of Uttar Pradesh on 3 October when a vehicle allegedly belonging to Ashish Mishra, son of federal minister Ajay Mishra Teni, hit a group of protesting farmers.

India’s main opposition party Congress has intensified its attack on the federally-ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. The party also governs in UP.

On Thursday, the party’s UP state unit organised a march in the state capital Lucknow to demand the resignation of federal Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son is one of the accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

The march was led by State Congress UInit Chief Ajay Kumar Lallu.

Sharing a video on Twitter, Lallu tweeted in Hindi: “The fight continues… for justice for farmers until the resignation of the minister.”

जंग जारी है।

किसानों के न्याय के लिए, मंत्री की बर्खास्तगी तक।#Lakhimpur pic.twitter.com/Q08qCTWGQz

— Ajay Kumar Lallu (@AjayLalluINC) December 16, 2021

The Congress party also tweeted in Hindi, demanding the resignation of the federal minister of state for home affairs before the assembly session.

विधानसभा सत्र से पहले जीपीओ गांधी प्रतिमा से विधानसभा तक केंद्रीय गृह राज्यमंत्री की बर्खास्तगी को लेकर प्रदेश अध्यक्ष श्री अजय कुमार लल्लू जी के नेतृत्व में कांग्रेस का विरोध प्रदर्शन।#टेनी_को_बर्खास्त_करो pic.twitter.com/3nO0xwf3rJ

— UP Congress (@INCUttarPradesh) December 16, 2021

शीतकालीन सत्र से पहले जीपीओ गांधी प्रतिमा से विधानसभा में चौधरी चरण सिंह जी की प्रतिमा तक केन्द्रीय गृह राज्यमंत्री की बर्खास्तगी को लेकर @AjayLalluINC जी,@aradhanam7000 जी, @DeepakSinghINC जी, नरेश सैनी जी, मसूद अख्तर जी ने पैदल मार्च किया।#टेनी_को_बर्खास्त_करो pic.twitter.com/AhdJrvTpWi

— UP Congress (@INCUttarPradesh) December 16, 2021

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the Narendra Modi government for not sacking Teni and said that it is the “starkest indication of government’s moral bankruptcy."

The government’s refusal to sack Ajay Mishra Teni is the starkest indication of its moral bankruptcy. @narendramodi ji, carefully curated spectacles of piety and wearing religious attire will not change the fact that you are protecting a criminal.. 1/2

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 16, 2021

…Ajay Mishra Teni should be sacked and charged in accordance with the law. 2/2

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 16, 2021

There was a massive uproar in the Indian Parliament as former Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi called Teni a "criminal" and demanded that Modi should immediately sack him.

The demand came from the former Congress president on the floor of the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Parliament) two days after a special investigation team (SIT) probing the case said that the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri – during which eight people including four farmers, a journalist, and two BJP workers were killed – was a "pre-planned conspiracy."

Gandhi said in Parliament: “We should be allowed to speak about the murder that was committed in Lakhimpur Kheri, where there was an involvement of the minister and about which it has been said that it was a conspiracy. The minister who killed farmers should resign and be punished.”

Due to massive outcry by the opposition over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and their demand for the immediate resignation of the federal minister, both houses of Parliament were adjourned until 2 pm.

However, it was reported that the concerned minister is currently at the Federal Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and is holding official meetings related to his department.

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday also demanded the resignation of Teni, alleging that the federal government doesn’t want to discuss the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

He had also given adjournment notice in the Lower House of Parliament for discussing the SIT report. The SIT is seeking more severe charges against the 13 accused.

The court of Lakhimpur Chief Judicial Magistrate Chinta Ram has already permitted the SIT to add Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (voluntarily causing injuries by dangerous weapons) in the FIR (First Information Report) which also names (the minister's son) Ashish Mishra as the main accused.

The court also allowed relevant charges to be added under the Arms Act.

The violence in Lakhimpur Kheri took place on 3 October this year amid the farmers’ protests against three contentious farm laws.

It took place when a group of farmers was rallying against the visit of UP Deputy State Chief and BJP politician Keshav Prasad Maurya to Ajay Mishra's birthplace.