UP Min Sidharth Nath Singh slams Akhilesh Yadav; 'over 200 riots took place in his tenure'

After former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the Yogi Adityanath government of crushing the Constitution, UP Minister Sidharth Nath Singh on Saturday slammed the SP supremo, stating that more than 200 riots had taken place under Yadav's regime in the state.

The UP Minister was quoted by ANI saying, "Between 2012-2016, more than 200 riots happened during the Akhilesh Yadav government. A journalist from Shahjahanpur was burnt alive after he said something against his government."

"In the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, a fair investigation is underway under retired High Court judge and some have been arrested and some have been called for questioning," Singh added. 

Akhilesh Yadav on Friday had alleged that the state government is working only for powerful people and not for farmers. He had said, "Whoever saw the video of the Lakhimpur incident has condemned the incident. This is a government that crushes the constitution. Everyone has seen everything, yet the guilty have not been caught. Every family I met said that the guilty should be punished."

How did the Lakhimpur Kheri violence unfold?

On October 3, while 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 shot dead by Union MoS Ajay Mishra Teni's son Ashish Misra 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 started stone-pelting at the car which had overturned, killing 4 people - including Misra's driver. The bodies of the four farmers were kept at the spot itself as farm leaders said that last rites will not be performed until their demands are met. Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM)  has demanded Union MOS Ajay Kumar Mishra's removal from his post immediately and his son should be booked for murder along with his supporters. However, Ashish Mishra has refuted those allegations and said that he was not present at the spot when the violence took place. 

The UP police on Monday had filed an FIR for murder against Ashish Mishra. Mishra, who was summoned by police in connection to the probe of the violence, did not report on Friday. His father Ajay Mishra had said that it was due to "health reasons." However, he arrived at the Crime Branch office, Lakhimpur on Saturday and has been detained by the police. 

Ashish Mishra Detained By UP Police

The UP Police detained Mishra and grilled him on his location last Saturday and whether he has any evidence to support his claim that he was not on the spot when two vehicles ran over farmers. He was reportedly asked questions like - 'How true are the allegations against you?' and 'Where were you during the time of the incident?'.

(With ANI Inputs)