Former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday demanded a Supreme Court monitored probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri farmer killings even as she called for the immediate dismissal of Union minister of state for home affairs Ajay Misra.
Speaking to reporters following the visit of a high level delegation of party leaders to Lakhimpur Kheri yesterday, Badal said the victim families of farmers, who had been crushed to death by the Union minister’s son Ashish Misra, did not have any hope for justice from the Uttar Pradesh government.
“It is clear that justice cannot be done in the case till the Union minister is not dismissed. I fail to understand why he has not been dismissed till now. In fact a case should have been registered against Ajay Misra on September 25 when he incited people to commit violence against peacefully protesting farmers,” the Union minister said.
She said Ajay Misra had compounded his crime after his son crushed four farmers and a journalist under his vehicle by stating that the vehicle was being stone pelted and that the driver lost control.
“This version has also been discredited now following live videos of the entire incident. Ajay Misra should be booked under section 120 (b) for inciting the violence and trying to divert the investigation. The Central government must follow the edict of winning the faith of everyone, particularly the victim families,” Badal added.
The former Union minister said the entire case should be transferred to a non-BJP state because the Uttar Pradesh police was not in a position to take action against the Union minister of state. She also condemned the five-day delay in taking action against the minister’s son saying even this had been done only after the intervention of the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile while recollecting her visit to the homes of the victims, including that to the residence of the slain journalist Raman Kashyap, Badal said “I was struck by the injustice being done to the hapless victims. They told me they don’t want money or jobs but a closure to the tragedy which had struck them by awarding exemplary punishment to the perpetrators”. “Eighteen-year-old Lovepreet, who was the only son of his parents who owned three acres of land, was sent by his mother to participate in the ‘langar-sewa’. Another deceased Nashattar was the sole bread earner who’s son was serving in the border security force. Journalist Raman Kashyap’s young children cannot even comprehend where their father is,” she said.