Congress & TMC slam Amit Shah for sharing stage with Ajay Mishra; term BJP 'anti-farmer'

Fuming at Union MoS Ajay Mishra's presence at the BJP membership drive in Lucknow on Friday, TMC and Congress slammed BJP for its 'insensitivity'. Reminding Mishra's links to the Lakhimpur massacre, TMC MP Mahua Moitra condemned Home Minister Amit Shah and CM Yogi Adityanath for sharing a stage with him. Farmers have demanded Mishra's ouster from the Modi cabinet and his arrest after his son Ashish Mishra was arrested for allegedly mowing down four farmers in Lakhimpur.

TMC & Congress slam BJP

Similarly, Congress termed BJP as 'anti-farmer' as Shah and Adityanath shared a stage with Mishra. Congress claimed that by sharing a stage with Mishra, Shah had BJP's stance and opinion clear. Congress also compared Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's visit to Lalitpur where she met a deceased farmer's kin to BJP's UP membership visit.

What happened in Lakhimpur-Kheri?

On October 3, farmers were protesting against the Farm Laws at Lakhimpur Kheri outside an event venue where Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya was scheduled to attend. As farmers displayed black flags along the path from the helipad to the venue, Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) claimed that one of the farmers was shot dead by Ashish Mishra - son of Union MoS Ajay Mishra Teni 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 3 BJP workers - including Mishra's driver. A scribe was also killed in the clash.

Clashes ensued after the incident resulting in many injuries and section 144 was imposed throughout the district. With Union MoS Ajay Misra and his son - Ashish Misra refuting the farmers' claims, UP govt announced it will give Rs 45 lakhs to the 4 farmers' families and  Rs 10 lakhs will be given to those injured. The deceaseds' kin will also get a govt job and probe headed by a retired High Court judge will be done. A CJI-led SC bench pulled up the  UP police for its probe observing ''We feel that you are dragging your feet' and 'why only four statements were recorded if 44 witnesses were there'. Ten arrests have been made in the case including Union MoS Ajay Mishra's son - Ashish, his friend  Ankit Das and his driver Shekhar Bharti.