UP Violence: Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s Son Faces Murder Charge

Lucknow: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son is facing murder charge for allegedly running a car over protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh.

Besides the minister’s son, the First Information Report (FIR) names several other people. Among eight people killed in the incident, four were farmers.

Upset over a recent speech by Mishra, the farmers had assembled to block the visit of the two ministers. It may be recalled that late last month, Mishra had said it was a protest of “10-15 people and it would take just two minutes to make them fall in line”.

“The farmers had planned to gherao the helipad to stop the arrival of the ministers. Once that ended and most people were on way back, three cars came… and mowed down the farmers… one farmer died on the spot and another in the hospital,” a leader of the farmers’ union, Dr Darshan Pal said. He said that the minister’s son was in the car.

Minister Ajay Mishra though has denied that his son, Ashish Mishra, was involved in the violence.

“My son wasn’t present at the spot. There were miscreants who attacked workers with sticks and swords. Had my son been there, he wouldn’t have come out alive,” Mishra was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

“My son was present at the venue of the (Deputy Chief Minister’s) event… all through, I was accompanying the deputy chief minister,” the junior home minister said.

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