Lakhimpur Kheri Violence: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra takes part in 'antim ardas'

Ankit Das's driver Shekhar was arrested and presented in the court, sent to judicial custody for 14 days

RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary was on Tuesday stopped briefly at the airport here and allowed to go to Lakhimpur Kheri for the “antim ardas” of the farmers killed in violence there only will his security personnel.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined a large gathering of farmers from various states in Tikonia village here as part of last prayers in honour of the four deceased farmers and a journalist, who were killed in the recent violence. Samyukta Kisan Morcha and BKU leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Singh Pal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Dharmendra Malik besides local farm union leaders also arrived in the village to pay tributes during the 'antim ardas' to the deceased, who were mowed down by speeding vehicles on October 3 during a protest.

Ankit Das, who is reportedly Ashish Mishra's friend, files a surrender application in the CJM court. Court to ask for a report from the concerned police station.

Since the news of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence broke out, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma has been maintaining silence on questions related to the incident. Speaking to the media on Monday, when Sharma was asked to comment on the impact of the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri, he left without answering.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has reached Lakhimpur Kheri. She will attend the 'antim ardaas' (the last prayers) here. However, the Bharatiya Kisan Union has asserted that no politician will be allowed to share the dais with farmer leaders during the last prayers for the four farmers killed in the incident.

A delegation of Congress leaders, including former party president Rahul Gandhi, will meet President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday at 11:30 AM and present a memorandum of facts on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. The seven-member delegation will comprise Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leaders AK Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal.

The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Monday staged a silent protest at the Jantar Mantar here demanding justice for the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and suspension of Union Minister of State for Home, Ajay Misra, whose son Ashish Misra is the prime accused in the case. The Youth Congress expressed its anguish by sitting quietly for over two hours.

The SKM has also given a call for a "rail roko" protest across the country from 10 am to 4 pm on October 18 and a mahapanchayat in Lucknow on October 26. Farmers are demanding that Ajay Mishra should be dismissed as a minister and arrested on the charges of spreading disharmony, murder and conspiracy, farm leaders had said earlier.

 Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra has been sent to three-day police custody in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Senior prosecution officer S.P. Yadav said that the remand will end on October 15 morning. Ashish will be taken for a medical examination, before and after the period of remand.

The Lakhimpur Kheri police have arrested Shekhar Bharti, the driver of Ankit Das, whose vehicle was in the convoy that mowed down nine persons, including four farmers on October 3. Police said that Shekhar Bharti, who was arrested on Tuesday morning, is presently being interrogated. Bharti was reportedly driving the black Fortuner that was being driven behind the Mahindra Thar that trampled the farmers. This is the fourth arrest in the Lakhimpur case. Two persons were arrested earlier and the third arrest was that of the main accused Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that by not dismissing Mos Ajay Mishra, BJP is obstructing the process of justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. "The government neither cares about the farmers nor the BJP workers who were killed," he said in a tweet. 

Posters have been put up by the Sikh community people against Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's planned visit to Lakhimpur Kheri today. The posters were put up by the BJP's Minority Morcha on byways from Lucknow to Lakhimpur that target the Congress leader over 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Four farmers were allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers. Infuriated farmers then allegedly lynched some people. The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver. A local journalist had also died in the violence. Farmers claimed that Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and his father. The SKM had demanded the arrest of the father-son duo. Ashish Mishra was arrested after 12 hours of questioning late on Saturday night.

Police personnel in large numbers are being deployed in the area to ensure smooth movement of the public and maintain law and order. Baba Kala Singh of the Kaudiyala Ghat gurdwara at Tikonia village said an "akhand path" had started on Sunday. People from Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand are arriving in their own vehicles. They are putting up a pandal on an agriculture field. 

Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh said that Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will go to Lakhimpur Kheri to attend the 'antim ardaas'. She will be accompanied by UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu. Other senior party leaders who are likely to go along with Priyanka ji are Dheeraj Gurjar, Rohit Chaudhary, Pramod Tiwari, Aradhna Misra and Deepak Singh.

While the Congress said its leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also attend the event in Lakhimpur Kheri, a Bharatiya Kisan Union member asserted no politician will be allowed to share the dais with farmer leaders during the last prayers for the four farmers killed in the incident. The collective "antim ardas" is expected to be attended by farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and farmer leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, are expected.

Sanyukt Kisan Morcha will observe Shaheed Kisan Diwas on Tuesday. People from other states have started arriving at Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri for the "antim ardas (the last prayers)" of the farmers killed in violence there on October 3.