Farmers Movement Archive

Kheri violence: Baghel demands resignation of Union MoS, his son’s arrest

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday demanded resignation of Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra and arrest of son Ashish Mishra while talking to media persons virtually from inside the Lucknow airport where he sat on a dharna after he was denied permission to move out of the airport. Baghel arrived at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow, to leave for Sitapur to meet Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who is under detention there. “The video released by Priyanka Gandhi clearly shows that a car mowed down farmers from behind while they were moving peacefully,” claimed Baghel while addressing media persons over Zoom App. “The Union minister of state for Home Ajay Mishra is clearly responsible for this incident. He must resign immediately. His son Ashish Mishra must be arrested as he was in the car that mowed down farmers,” Baghel said. Replying to a query, he said: “As I am not being allowed to move out of the airport, I have sat on a dharna inside the airport. I wanted to go to Sitapur where Priyanka Gandhi has been detained and not to Lakhimpur Kheri.” Attacking the UP government, Baghel dubbed it as anti-farmers. As the Chhattisgarh CM was addressing media persons virtually from inside the airport, Congress workers assembled outside the terminal and raised slogans against the BJP government. Later, Baghel returned to Chhattisgarh on his state plane.He shared a video shared from his official twitter handle in which he was seen questioning cops on duty at the Lucknow airport. “Prohibitory orders are in Lakhimpur not in Lucknow. We are not going to Lakhimpur. So what is the problem?,” questioned Baghel. Congress leaders denied entry to airport Earlier in the day, Congress leaders Pramod Tewari and Panna Lal Punia were not allowed to meet Baghel when they arrived at the airport to receive him. “We were asked by police personnel deployed at the airport to go back. We were denied entry to the airport where we had gone to receive Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel,” Pramod Tewari told media persons at the Congress office. Tewari demanded a probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri incident by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court. Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday when farmer leaders were returning after holding a protest against the Centre’s three farm laws.

Hindustan Times

05-10-2021

Lucknow