Why none cared to visit Brahmins killed in Lakhimpur, asks BJP

LUCKNOW: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday targeted the Opposition parties for engaging in “selective” politics” over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that left eight people, including four farmers, and two BJP workers and a driver dead on October 3.

Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Sidharth Nath Singh said: “Two Brahmins also died in the unfortunate incident. But the SP, the BSP, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, which shed crocodile tears in the name of Brahmins, have been exposed in front of the people. Not a single word has come out from anyone’s mouth for Brahmins.”

The two BJP workers were identified as Shubham Mishra and Shyam Sundar and the driver as Hari Om Mishra. Shubham and Hari Om were Brahmins. UP’s labour welfare council chairman Sunil Bharala, who called off his visit to Lakhimpur Kheri at the last moment, said he would meet the Brahmin families later.

“I couldn’t go today due to some reason, but I wish to ask the opposition parties why they were engaged in politics over the dead. Everyone is talking about farmers and there is nothing wrong about that for their loss can’t be compensated. But why are our opposition leaders confining themselves to visits to the farmers’ place alone. Why aren’t many visiting the journalist who died and then why hasn’t anyone bothered to visit the Brahmin families who lost their near and dear ones in the violence too. They were Brahmins and because we also run an organisation for the community, we surely intend to expose the opposition for their blatant double standards,” Bharala said.

Bharala said nearly all the Opposition parties had been wooing Brahmins in the run-up to 2022 UP polls but when it came to helping the community, all played politics.

“Except the BJP, none has stood with the Brahmins in times of need, and this has again been established,” Bharala said. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was the only opposition leader who was heard saying that though she intended to meet the families of BJP workers killed in the violence, a senior police officer had told her that they didn’t wish to meet her. The families of BJP workers have since denied refusing anyone to meet them. Among the opposition leaders, Congress’s Punjab unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had visited the family of the journalist where he had gone on a maun vrat (silent vow), that he called off on Saturday after Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra Teni’s son, Ashish, the prime accused in the Lakhimpur violence case, was summoned and questioned by the police in the case. Ashish was later arrested.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also met the family of the journalist on October 6 night.