AMN / LUCKNOW
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders today observed ‘maun vrat’ at Gandhi statue at GPO, Lucknow, demanding dismissal of Union Minister for State (Home) Ajay Kumar Mishra whose son is an accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
On Sunday, addressing a rally in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi, Priyanka Gandhi had said, “Congress workers do not fear anyone even if you throw them in jails or beat them up. We will continue to fight until the Union minister resigns. Our party has fought for the country’s Independence. No one can silence us.”
Ajay Mishra, the Union Minister of State for Home, met with Home Minister Amit Shah last week but sources later ruled out his resignation.
But on Saturday, after a rap from the Supreme Court, the UP police questioned and later arrested the minister’s son, who is accused of running over a group of protesting farmers on October 3. Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the violence.
Both the minister and his son denied being at the spot. But the police said Ashish Mishra had been evasive in his replies and could not explain gaps in his alibi.
A Congress spokesperson said the party is demanding that Ajay Mishra, a powerful politician in Uttar Pradesh, be removed for the sake of a free and fair investigation in the case.
UP Minister Siddharth Nath Singh said the law would take its course and would not be influenced by any kind of pressure.
If Congress leaders want to sit on a ”maun vrat” or hold protests, it is their democratic right, the minister remarked, and went on to target one of the party’s top leaders, Manmohan Singh.
The two-time former Prime Minister had been on a ”maun vrat” for 10 years, Mr Singh jibed.