A day after STF officials said that the killing of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 was a "planned conspiracy", the opposition in parliament once again demanded the sacking
of Union Minister Ajay Mishra.
Ajay Mishra's son Ashish is the primary accused in the case and has been jailed since October.
Following the damning probe report, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has issued an adjournment notice to discuss the SIT report in a case of violence in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur
Kheri area.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned early due to opposition protests, and ministers in the Lok Sabha were seen speaking over the constant slogan-shouting.
In a notice to the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi stated that Ajay Mishra who is Minister of State for Home in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet should be dismissed. The Congress
MP stated in his notice this morning, "The UP police SIT report has emphasised that the killing of farmers at Lakhimpur was a pre-planned conspiracy and not a negligent act."
"The government should immediately sack Ajay Kumar Mishra, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, and ensure that justice served to the victims' families," said Mr Gandhi.
Farmers were allegedly run over in Lakhimpur Kheri by an SUV driven by Ashish Mishra "with intent to murder," according to the SIT report, which was released on Tuesday.
The SIT investigating the October 3 violence has submitted a plea with the Chief Judicial Magistrate to include new sections against the 13 accused, making their crimes punishable as attempted
murder. The SIT investigating officer, Vidhyaram Diwakar, filed a plea in the CJM's court last week to replace sections 279, 338, and 304A of the IPC with new sections in the warrant.
Murder and conspiracy charges have already been filed against Ashish Mishra and others. "Attempt to murder" and additional charges are being sought by the Special Investigation
Team.
The SIT official has requested the court to add Sections 307 - attempt to murder; 326 - Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means; 34 - Acts done by several persons
in furtherance of common intention, of the Indian Penal Code.
The major development comes as elections near in Uttar Pradesh. State ruling BJP which earlier remain tight-lipped about Ajay Mishra’s removal is now expected to speak out. As the
party gears up for polls, inaction against the union minister can enrage farmers who are now packing up from protesting sites.
Yesterday, the minister met with his son in jail.
On October 3, as many as eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh during a farmers' protest.
After four farmers were allegedly run over by an SUV driven by Ashish Mishra, violence erupted, killing four more people, including a journalist. An SUV was shown ploughing over farmers
at full speed in videos that sparked outrage.
The Lakhimpur police have filed two FIRs. One of the cases filed by the deceased farmers' family cited Ashish Mishra as the primary accused. Another FIR was filed in Lakhimpur by Sumit
Jaiswal, a BJP worker, against unnamed farmers accused of encouraging the following violence.
Jaiswal was seen rushing from one of the SUVs that crushed the farmers in viral videos. In the Ashish Mishra FIR, he was later jailed as a co-accused.