Lakhimpur Kheri:The Lakhimpur Kheri incident is no accident but a planned conspiracy to kill protesting farmers, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the crime informed the Court and sought to add more stringent sections including conspiracy and murder attempt.
The SIT's application which came up for hearing before the Lakhimpur Chief Judicial Magistrate(CJM) Court on Tuesday seeking to drop all charges as referring to the incident as 'accident' was allowed.
The SIT has termed the convoy of Ashish Mishra, son of Minister of State (MoS) Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni, running over the farmers rally as 'intentional', and to kill the farmers. Four farmers, a local journalist, a car driver and two BJP workers were killed in the incident, on October 3.
The CJM allowed incorporation of revised charges of attempt to murder and the Arms act in the warrants issued against all the 13 accused so far arrested in connection with the incident reported in Tikunia. However, he did not allow the conspiracy charge to be added.
As per the SIT's application, the court allowed retention of murder, rioting, armed with a deadly weapon and criminal conspiracy charges filed in the warrants of the arrested accused. It also allowed charges include causing death due to negligence and reckless driving to be dropped from the warrant.
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Earlier in the day, Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi demanded the dismissal of the MoS Home Affairs.
"Due to the court's rebuke and satyagraha, now the police also say that the son of the Minister of State for Home had conspired and crushed the farmers. There should be an inquiry as to what was the role of the Minister of State for Home in this conspiracy, but Narendra Modi ji because of the anti-farmer mentality, you have not even removed him from the post.", Gandhi tweeted out in Hindi regarding the recent development.
Rahul Gandhi, too, tweeted out his reaction to the revelation, demanding an apology from PM Modi as well as the removal of Ajay Mishra Teni from the designation of MoS Home Affairs.
"Modi ji, it's time to apologize again... But first remove the accused's father from the post of minister. Truth has been revealed!", Gandhi said in his tweet.
The case against Ashish Mishra was registered on October 4, based on a complaint by farmer Jagjit Singh. A counter complaint by a BJP worker against the farmers is also under investigation.
A disturbing video of the convoy ploughing through the unsuspecting farmers rally at a high speed trickled out in the social media sparking outrage across the country.
Watch:VIDEO of SUV running over farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri puts UP govt in a spot
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) also demanded that Teni be sacked over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. The BKU which is also part of the SMK said the farmers' struggle would continue till the minister's arrest.
"A new fact, in fact a truth has emerged today after the SIT probe into the Tikonia violence episode, which is the minister's son, Ashish Mishra, and his associates had conspired the killing of farmers. The farmers were mowed down under a vehicle as per a conspiracy," BKU spokesperson Dharmendra Malik said.
BKU spokesperson Dharmendra Malik
He added, "we have been saying this from day one that the minister and his son are involved in this episode. When the son of a minister hatches such a plan, there is no doubt that the minister is also involved in it but he continues to be a part of the central ministry!"
The SKM, umbrella body of farmers' unions, maintained that the finding has reaffirmed its stand that the incident was a "pre-planned massacre".
"Meanwhile, the chief mastermind of the incident, Ajay Mishra Teni continues to roam free and hold his position in the Union government. In the light of the latest findings, the SKM demands that the Modi government stop shielding this 'conspirator of the Kisan Massacre in Lakhimpur Kheri', and reiterates its demand for his dismissal and arrest," SKM said in a statement.
