Lakhimpur violence: Shiromani Akali Dal delegation demands MoS Home be sacked

Lucknow, Oct 8: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday demanded Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra be sacked and the accused immediately arrested for ensuring justice to farmers'' families in the Lakhimpur violence case.

"We demanded immediate dismissal of the minister and arrest of the accused for giving justice to the families of farmers, who died in Lakhimpur," SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur told reporters here outside Chaudhury Charan Singh Airport.

A delegation of the party landed here to visit Lakhimpur Kheri to meet families of farmers, who had died in the violence on October 3. "We are going to share the grief and will help them in whatever way we can," she said.

On BJP''s allegation that the opposition was going to Lakhimpur for "photo opportunity", the former Union minister said, "I resigned from the Central cabinet for raising the voice of farmers. They can also call this a photo opportunity."

Kaur said measures should be taken to check such violence while demanding the arrest of the accused.

On October 3, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri with four of them being farmers, who were allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area.

The other four were two BJP workers, a driver of MoS Mishra and a journalist working for a private television channel.