Tikait announces agitation if Teni is not dismissed, arrested
Darpan News Desk IANS, 12 Oct, 2021 11:18 AM
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), Oct 12 (IANS) Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait has said that the farmers would launch a major agitation if union minister of state for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni, who is charged under 120B IPC, is not dismissed and arrested.
"The minister and his son must be lodged in separate barracks in Agra - not in Lakhimpur jail - because they are guilty of murder, the minister must resign and be arrested," he said.
The minister and his son are accused in the October 3 incident in which nine persons, including four farmers, were mowed down by SUVs. The minister's son Ashish Mishra has already been arrested.
He announced that effigies will be burnt in districts on October 15 and the places would be decided later.
"On October 24, the ashes of the deceased would be immersed and then a panchayat would be held in Lucknow on October 26 in which the future course of action will be decided," he said, while speaking at the 'antim ardas' of the deceased on Tuesday.
He said that the 'antim ardas' was to pray for the peace of the departed souls and there should be no politics here.
"But we are not going to rest until strict punishment is ensured for those guilty of mowing down farmers. When we spoke to the government representatives, we had made our demands clear - the arrest of the minister and his son and other accused. There is going to be no laxity on this issue," he said.
He termed the arrest of Ashish Mishra, son of the minister, as a 'red carpet arrest', which was not acceptable to farmers.
Tikait did not allow any political leaders to address the gathering and said that it was not a political event but a 'pious' event.
Calling the reports of alleged snooping on prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware as "baseless", the ruling BJP on Monday said there is not a single shred of evidence so far that links either the central government or the party to this controversy.
Congress MPs from both Houses had met on Sunday afternoon at Rajya Sabha member Pratap Singh Bajwa's residence to discuss the issues related to Punjab and sought an appointment with Gandhi.
Apart from reviewing the security arrangements in the national capital, the Delhi Police have also strengthened the security in and around the Red Fort ahead of the Independence Day.
Police said acting on a specific information, Budgam Police along with the Army's 53 RR and 43 BN of the CRPF arrested one local terrorist linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT and recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one Chinese pistol, one magazine, eight live pistol rounds from his possession.
As the Pegasus spyware scandal unravelled within and outside Parliament, he termed it a "shocking assault" on India's democratic polity by the Union government, which had compromised the national security with "this blatantly disgraceful act".
The shocking incident happened on Sunday when the lawyer, Satyadev Joshi and his associate Ankit Tandon had gone to survey a land for a client in Dahisar suburb.
