BJP top brass pulls up Union MoS Ajay Mishra for misbehaviour as clamour for ouster grows

In another setback for Union MoS Home Ajay Mishra, sources revealed on Thursday that the BJP high command reprimanded him for misbehaving with journalists. This development came after a video regarding the same went viral on Wednesday in which he lost his cool after being asked about the additional charges being slapped on his son Ashish. The latter is one of the 13 accused persons who have been arrested in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case and is currently in judicial custody.

He was heard saying, "Do not ask stupid questions. Are you mad? You (expletive) media people have framed an innocent man. But you have no shame. You are disgusting people. Shut down your mic. You will not show anything else, on how the production of Oxygen has been increased in the area". As per sources, he has been warned not to behave in a similar fashion in the future.

Speaking to the media a day earlier, Leader of the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal snubbed the opposition's vociferous demand seeking the ouster of Ajay Mishra from the Cabinet. The Union Minister opined, The probe is on under Supreme Court's directions. Such comments (of opposition) are unfounded". 

The Lakhimpur Kheri violence

Violence broke out in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district on 3 October leading to the death of 8 persons including 4 farmers.  Immediately after the horrific incident, UP CM Yogi Adityanath promised that the state government will expose the elements involved in the incident and take strict action against them. Apart from an SIT, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a single-member Commission of Inquiry of Justice (retd.) Pradeep Kumar Srivastava to probe the Lakhimpur violence. Moreover, the police formed a 9-member monitoring committee led by DIG (Headquarters) Upendra Agrawal in connection with this case.

On 17 November, a Supreme Court bench comprising CJI NV Ramana, Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli appointed retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Rakesh Kumar Jain to monitor the investigation into the Lakhimpur violence. The apex court observed that this will help ensure "transparency, fairness and absolute impartiality" in the investigation. It also reconstituted the SIT formed by the Yogi Adityanath-led government by including three IPS officers- SB Shirodkar, Deepinder Singh and Padmaja Chauhan in the panel.

In a major development, the UP SIT concluded that the Lakhimpur violence was a pre-planned conspiracy. On Tuesday, the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Lakhimpur Kheri conceded to the prosecution's request adding Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and sections of the Arms Act to the FIR while dropping Sections 279, 304A and 338. In a validation of the victims' stance, the police has clearly affirmed that the violence was not due to negligence or accident.