Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Priyanka Gandhi participates in final prayers for UP farmers

Lucknow, Oct 12: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra participated in the "antim ardas prayers of farmers who died in Lakhimpur violence on October 3.

"The 'antim ardas' for all the deceased farmers will be held on Tuesday at Tikonia," BKU-Tikait's district president Amandeep Singh was quoted as saying by the news agency.

On 3 October, a jeep owned by Union Home Minister for State Ajay Mishra mowed down a few farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. Infuriated farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles. The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.

While the farmers said that they spotted the minister's son Ashish Mishra in one of the vehicles, Ajay Sharma denied all the speculations and said that his son was attending another event.

The UP government has constituted a nine-member SIT team headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Upendra Agarwal which is investigating the case.

On 7 October, two men and close aide of Ajay Mishra were arrested by the cops and police had put up a notice outside Ashish Mishra's house who appeared before the SIT on Saturday and he was arrested after 12 hours of questioning.

Now, farmers unions and opposition parties are demanding that Ajay Mishra should be dismissed from the cabinet.