Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel slams UP govt over Lakhimpur violence; calls Yogi a 'coward

Amid the ongoing outrage over the Lakhimpur Kheri case, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday slammed the Yogi Adityanath government for barring Opposition leaders from visiting the violence struck district.

"I used to think that saints are not afraid of anything but Yogi Aditynath is coward. He is a coward as he stopped Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from visiting the Lakhimpur Kheri," said Baghel, while addressing the 'Kisan Nyay' rally at a ground in Varanasi.

Baghel added, "I was stopped at the Lucknow airport. I told them that I was there to meet Priyanka Gandhi but still was not allowed to exit the airport. But we had never stopped Yogi ji."

Chhattisgarh CM Baghel on October 5, had staged a protest at Lucknow airport as he was stopped from leaving the airport.  Baghel wanted to meet Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who has been detained by the police, however, he was denied entry in Lakhimpur. 

Ashish Mishra Arrested 

Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh SIT on Saturday for his alleged involvement in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, which resulted in the deaths of eight including four farmers. Earlier in the day, Ashish had appeared before the Special Investigation Team in connection with October 3 incident.

How did the Lakhimpur Kheri violence unfold?

On October 3, when farmers were protesting against the three farm laws at Lakhimpur Kheri outside an event venue where Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya was scheduled to be present, one of the farmers was allegedly shot dead by Union MoS's son Ashish Mishra and two farmers were killed after his car ran over them.

Before the killings, the protesters were seen holding black flags against Maurya's arrival at Maharaja Agrasen Ground. After the incident, farmers allegedly started pelting stones at the car which had overturned, killing 4 people - including Mishra's driver. The bodies of the four farmers were kept at the spot as farm leaders said that last rites will not be performed until their demands are met. Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has demanded immediate removal of Union MoS Ajay Kumar Mishra from his post and the booking of his son for murder.

(With ANI Inputs)