Lakhimpur: Surrounded with a huge security, Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni cast his vote at a polling booth in Lakhimpur. Flashing a ‘V’ sign minister cast his vote as reporters were asking questions on his son Ashish Mishra, accused of running over farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri last year.
Ashish Mishra was jailed last year. He was released on bail a week ago, in the middle of the UP election campaign.
Visuals show that there was a lot of chaos when the minister turned at the booth for casting vote.
“Ajay Mishra-ji!” shouted reporters as they tried to catch his attention and failed to get close to him. The images raised questions about a voter taking so much security with him to a polling booth.
Ajay Mishra, Union Minister of Home in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and senior BJP leader, has a huge influence in the eastern UP, specially at the Lakhimpur.
The minister barely answered any questions raised on his son by the media, as even caught on camera attacking journalists last year.
Ashish Mishra was arrested in October, days after he allegedly ran over protesting farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri with his SUV. The farmers were marching against the minister’s visit for an event when the convoy crashed into them.
In videos that caused outrage and horror, an SUV was seen ramming and crushing farmers. Ashish Mishra and his father have both denied that he was driving the SUV.
Four farmers and a journalist were run over. In violence that followed, protesters chased those in the BJP convoy and beat them. Three more, including two BJP workers, were killed.
UP police sources claim their 5,000-page chargesheet against Ashish Mishra and the other accused place him at the spot on the day of the incident using multiple eye witness accounts, CCTV footage and photographs.
Uttar Pradesh voted in the fourth round today of seven-phase voting. The results will be declared on March 10.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
