SKM writes to President Ram Nath Kovind; demands MoS Ajay Mishra's dismissal and arrest

In a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has demanded the dismissal of Minister of State for Home Affairs (MoS) Ajay Mishra. This demand of the SKM comes in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. The SKM, while requesting the expulsion of Union Minister Mishra, additionally added that the formation of a Special Investigation Team under the due guidance and supervision of the Supreme Court be accorded to probe the cases of violence in Lakhimpur Kheri. 

In a recent development, the main accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, Ashish Mishra, son of MoS Ajay Mishra was shifted to a government hospital from the district jail due to reports of suspected dengue. Prior to that, Ashish Mishra along with co-accused Ankit Das - late Congress MP Akhilesh Das' nephew, Shekhar Bharti, and Latif was sent to police custody until October 24. While IPS officer Upendra Agarwal has been transferred as the DIG of the Devipatan range, he will continue to head the Special Investigation Team, probing the Lakhimpur violence.

SKM alleges accused of receiving VIP treatment; wants SIT to take over probe

The SKM while writing to President Kovind concerning the Lakhimpur Kheri incident attested that the 'conflict of interest was the key obstruction to justice', further asserting that the ones involved in the cases of violence were receiving VIP treatment and the statements by the victim were not getting recorded properly as expected by the Supreme Court. The letter read, "Union Minister of State for Home Mr Ajay Mishra should be immediately dismissed from his post. Ajay Mishra should also be arrested immediately for his role in the murder (criminal conspiracy under Sec.120B in addition to other charges as described above)."

While putting forward the demand for Ajay Mishra's arrest, the SKM in the letter said, "We also continue to demand that the investigation of this incident should be done by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court."

Lakhimpur Kheri Violence Case

Violence broke out in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri when protesting farmers were about to start a demonstration on October 3. Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) claimed that one of the farmers was shot dead by Ashish Mishra and three farmers were killed after his car ran over them and turned turtle. In retaliation, farmers resorted to stone-pelting at the car which had overturned, killing 4 BJP workers - including Mishra's driver. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had promised justice and immediately constituted a Special Investigative Team (SIT) and a single-member Commission of Inquiry of Justice (retd.) Pradeep Kumar Srivastava.

Image Credits - PTI/ANI