On Sunday, protestors calling for the revocation of the three farm laws passed in September last year created a ruckus at Lakhimpur in Uttar Pradesh, which soon took an ugly turn, leading to the deaths of no less than nine people – four farmers, four BJP workers and one journalist. According to the police, violence erupted after a car hit the protestors in Lakhimpur Kheri. They said that four farmers were killed after allegedly being hit by a convoy and four others who were travelling in one of the vehicles were beaten to death.
However, Ajay Mishra has denied the allegations and said that he has visual proof to account for the fact that Ashish Mishra, his son, was not on the scene or anywhere near Lakhimpur, but was instead at the venue in Banwaripur where UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was scheduled to address an event.
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Ajay Mishra claimed that his son, Ashish was at the event organised at their ancestral village since 11 am on Sunday. “He was there since 11 am. He didn’t even go home. There were at least 2,000 people present at the venue, including district administration officials. He, too, would have been lynched had he been in the car.” He added, “My driver was driving. The vehicle was pelted with stones by miscreants who hid amid the protesting farmers. The car overturned because of that and two farmers came underneath. The driver and the karyakartas were then pulled out and beaten to death. The car was set on fire. The entire incident is a conspiracy.”
Our 3 vehicles went to receive Dy CM for an event. On their way, some miscreants pelted stones, set cars on fire and killed our 3-4 workers by thrashing them with sticks: Ashish Mishra, son of MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni on Lakhimpur Kheri incident pic.twitter.com/uo8JpEkEwW
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) October 3, 2021
Ashish Mishra, meanwhile, said that the allegations levelled against him, of mowing down the protestors with his vehicle are completely baseless and has also demanded a judicial enquiry into the whole incident. He said, “Our three vehicles went to receive Dy CM for an event. On their way, some miscreants pelted stones, set cars on fire and killed our 3-4 workers by thrashing them with sticks.”
The father-son duo claims to have visual proof to support their claims, and Ashish Mishra is even denying the allegations levelled against him. Does this point towards a conspiracy to stoke violence in Lakhimpur in a premeditated manner?