Farmers being crushed: Akhilesh

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday attacked the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and said that farmers and the law were being crushed.

The way police served summons (on Union minister of state Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra), it was like giving samman (bestowing respect) or offering a bouquet instead of bringing them (the accused) to book, Akhilesh Yadav said at a press conference at the SP state headquarters in Lucknow.

“You have seen how a vehicle ran over farmers who were fighting for their rights. The accused persons are yet to be caught. It is as if instead of giving summons, a bouquet is being given. The summons is only in name, and (in reality) samman (honour) is given.”

His remarks came barely a few hours after Ashish Mishra appeared before the special investigation team (SIT) formed in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

Ashish Mishra was asked to appear before the police on Friday, but he did not do so. The Uttar Pradesh Police then issued a fresh notice asking him to appear before it by 11am on Saturday and he finally did so.

Accusing the UP government of shielding the guilty, the SP chief again demanded the resignation of Ajay Mishra Teni from the Union Council of Ministers. “The MOS said that he has been an MP, MLA, but he has also been something else and was threatening farmers,” he said.

Yadav said the BJP’S “dumdaar (powerful)” stance is only for “protecting the powerful”. The reference was to the BJP government’s hoarding in Lucknow using the tagline “Dumdaar”. “The government claims that it is a dumdaar sarkaar. Is the government only for the powerful and not for the farmers? In the coming time, the BJP will be wiped out,” he warned.