Lakhimpur Kheri: Navjot Singh Sidhu ends hunger strike as minister`s son appears before UP Police

Demanding the arrest of Ashish Mishra, Sidhu begun a hunger strike on October 8, at late journalist Raman Kashyap`s house in Lakhimpur who died in the violence on October 3

Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has ended his hunger protest, after the son of MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni, Ashish Mishra appeared before Crime Branch in Lakhimpur Kheri deaths case.

Yesterday (October 8),  demanding the arrest of Ashish Mishra, Sidhu begun a hunger strike at late journalist Raman Kashyap`s house in Lakhimpur who died in the violence on October 3. "Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Navjot Singh Sidhu is sitting on a hunger strike and demanding that the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra is made part of the investigation in the Lakhimpur massacre," tweeted Punjab unit of Congress.

After meeting Kashyap's family, Sidhu also slammed the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government, and said, "Nothing is greater than law and justice. But no action is being taken by the state government because the accused is the minister`s son. Now the law is different for both, people in power and poor people. Police can do anything as they are highly efficient, but nothing is being done in this case."

"When I met deceased farmer Lovepreet's father, he said that he does not want money, he only wants justice. All the evidence are there, videos, eyewitnesses and even FIR, then also nothing is happening. We are losing moral authority on the law," he added. He further said that human life cannot be compared to money and asked from whom the poor should seek o for justice now if the authorities do not respond.

Referring to Congress' demand for Union Minister Teni's resignation, Sidhu called for "ahuti" (sacrifice) of a minister to restore farmers' faith in the judicial system. "Farmers have been protesting for the last one year, but still have not given justice. Farmers and I both have lost faith in the law. In this protest, a leader also has to be sacrificed to restore our faith in the law and order. The image of an ugly politician has to be erased," he said.

Earlier on Thursday (October 7), Sidhu led a march to Lakhimpur in Uttar Pradesh and threatened to go on a hunger strike from today. As many as eight people died in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident on Sunday, said Uttar Pradesh police .Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel have announced ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh separately to the kin of four farmers who died in the Lakhimpur incident.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of several farmer unions, alleged that Ashish Mishra Teni, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni arrived with three vehicles around the time that farmers were dispersing from their protest at the helipad and mowed down farmers and towards the end also attacked SKM leader Tajinder Singh Virk directly, by trying to run a vehicle over him. However, Ashish Mishra refuted SKM's allegations and said he was not present at the spot where the incident took place. MoS Teni also said that his son was not present at the spot, adding that some miscreants mingled with protesting farmers and pelted the stones at the car which lead to the 'unfortunate incident'.

(With ANI inputs)