New Delhi: Days after the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra allegedly ran over his SUV on protesting farmers resulting in multiple deaths, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday (October 10) addressed a 'Kisan Nyay' rally in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi.
Questioning PM’s silence on the matter, she accused the government and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of shielding the minister and his son.
“Last week, the son of Union MoS mowed down 6 farmers with his vehicle. Families of all the victims said they want justice. But all of you have seen that the government is shielding the minister and his son,” said Gandhi.
“The CM is shielding the minister from public forum. PM came to Lucknow to see the performance of ‘Uttam’ Pradesh and ‘Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ but couldn't go to Lakhimpur Kheri to share the grief of the victim families,” she added.
She hit out at the BJP saying they only protect those in power and their rich friends.
“Only two types of people are safe in this country today - BJP leaders who are in power and their billionaire friends,” she said.
She further said, “PM Modi called the protesting farmers 'Andolanjivi' and terrorists. Yogi Ji called them hooligans and tried to threaten them. The same minister (Ajay Kumar Mishra) said that he would make the protesting farmers fall in line within two minutes.”
Gandhi also took a swipe at the PM for selling Air India to the Tata group.
“Modi Ji bought two aircraft for himself for Rs 16,000 crores last year. He sold the entire Air India of this country for just Rs 18,000 crores to his billionaire friends,” she said.
Earlier in the day, Priyanka Gandhi offered prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Durga Mata Temple in Varanasi.
Earlier this week, she was detained and subsequently arrested in the aftermath of Lakhimpur Kheri violence as she tried to visit the families of the victims. Later, after being released, she along with her brother Rahul Gandhi met the grieving families.
Meanwhile, Ashish Mishra has been arrested by the UP police after hours of questioning on Saturday. They will seek his custody from a local court on Monday.
