New Delhi: A protest march was taken out by the opposition leaders, on Tuesday, demanding action against Union Minister Ajay Mishra in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, where four farmers had died in the incident on 3rd October 2021. The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says that they will not rest until the Minister is sent to jail.
Leaders of several opposition parties attended the march from Gandhi statue inside the Parliament complex to Vijay Chowk. They demanded immediate sacking of the Minister, whose son has been arrested in the case. They also demanded immediate revoking of the suspension of their 12 MPs.
The MPs held placards and raised slogans against the government. Rahul Gandhi said that the entire opposition demands the sacking of Minister Mishra. Pointing to the SIT report, Gandhi said that the report says it was a conspiracy and not an isolated incident.
“We will not spare him (Ajay Mishra) and continue our struggle until he is behind the bars,” Gandhi said. “The Prime Minister has not done anything on the matter. Neither the Government nor the media is willing enough to do its job,” he added. “The Prime Minister on one hand apologises to the farmers, and on the other hand keeps the Minister in the Cabinet. We will not accept what is being done against the farmers,” Gandhi said.
Opposition leaders said they will continue to raise the demand until it is met. Earlier in the morning, leaders of the opposition parties met in the chamber of Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss their strategy for way forward. It is to be noted that the opposition parties have been protesting against the suspension of MPs, which they have termed as undemocratic and against the rules of the House.
Deepinder Singh Hooda and Mallikarjun Kharge gave adjournment notices in the Rajya Sabha on the Lakhimpur issue. But the notices were disallowed by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu. Also, Congress MP Manickam Tagore gave adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
“I have given a suspension of business/notice under Rule 267 to discuss the recent SIT report on the manslaughter in Lakhimpur. We demand Ajay Mishra be immediately removed from his position to ensure a free and fair trial,” Kharge twitted.