A massive political row kicked up on Sunday over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which the son of Union Home Minister for state Ajay Mishra was accused of having run his car over protesting farmers.
While calling the incident a "conspiracy", the Union Minister said his son was not even present on the spot and his car was being driven by a driver, who was beaten to death.
The incident sent political temperature of the state soaring.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded immediate resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath, while AICC general secretary in-charge for UP Priyanka Gandhi and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary are likely to visit Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday morning.
"One who is silent even after seeing this inhuman incident is already dead. But we will not let this sacrifice go in vain. Long live the Kisan Satyagrah," said Rahul Gandhi, tweeting a screenshot of a report on the incident.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked whether the farmers have no right to live. "How much hatred BJP has for farmers? If they raise their voices, will you shoot them, kill them? This is the country of farmers...Kisan Satyagraha will get more strengthened and the voice of farmers will get louder."
"The act of the son of MoS Home in running his car over farmers protesting peacefully is cruel and inhuman. UP will not tolerate the persecution by the arrogant BJP," Akhilesh Yadav tweeted.
RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary targeted Mishra, saying "heart rending news is coming from Lakhimpur Kheri. The minister's cavalcade ran over the protesting farmers. Who is the same when the minister is hatching a conspiracy."
Meanwhile, Congress also launched a full scale attack Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar after a video surfaced in which Khattar is purportedly advocating a "tit-for-tat" treatment against protesting farmers and asking party workers to organise and retaliate and be ready to even serve short term jail terms for such acts.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the rule of law and Constitution can not be maintained in a state if the Chief Minister CM himself advocates violence. "BJP's anti-farmer conspiracy stands exposed. Time has come for such an anarchist government to go," Surjewala said.
In the video, Khattar is seen telling party workers. "Raise 500 to 100 farmers in all Northern, Western districts of Haryana and make them your volunteer and then Shathe Shathyam Samacharet (Tit for Tat). Pick up the baton.... Fear not that. Do not bother about that when you pick up batons. If you stay there (in jail) for a month or six months, you will automatically become big leaders. You will not get so much education in these meetings than what you get there."
Surjewala said, "Your Gurumantra of openly asking BJP supporters to attack protesting farmers with lathis, go to jail and emerge as leader from there, will never succeed. Giving such a call to create anarchy after having taken the vow of the Constitution is treason. Seems this also has the backing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief J P Nadda."
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