Dropping his silence on the Lakhimpur Kheri tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the Yogi Adityanath administration in Uttar Pradesh is “operating transparently” in the issue concerning claims that Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni’s son ran over protesting farmers.
The primary culprit in the murders of 4 farmers as well as a journalist, Ashish Mishra is still in jail since October, yet his father, Ajay Mishra, remains in PM Modi’s administration as Minister of State for Home, despite opposition calls for his dismissal.
PM Modi reacted to opposition claims that the BJP sheltered its own from action or inquiry in an interview with news agency ANI a day before the first round of voting in Uttar Pradesh.
The state administration agreed to whichever committee the Supreme Court desired and any judge the Supreme Court desired for the investigation. The state government operates in a transparent manner as stated by the Prime Minister.
On October 3, Ashish Mishra was reportedly driving the SUV that drove over farmers protesting three controversial agricultural policies in Lakhimpur Kheri. He was apprehended a few days later.
The Highest Court ordered an investigation after the UP police and government were accused of dragging their feet on the investigation.
Many feel that farmer rage and the consequences from the Lakhimpur Kheri event would hurt the BJP in the UP election, particularly in western UP, where farmers make up a sizable vote group.
To soothe some of the rages, the government repealed the agricultural regulations in November, putting an end to an 11-month protest by farmers on roads outside Delhi.
PM Modi stated that the laws were enacted by the central administration for the welfare of farmers and then were repealed in the national interest.