New Delhi: For the second consecutive day, the Lok Sabha witnessed protests by the opposition which sought a discussion on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident of October 3 in which four farmers were mowed down by a vehicle which was part of the convoy of Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reiterated his demand that the government allow a discussion on the issue and that “the minister who killed farmers should resign and be punished.” He also described Mishra as a ‘criminal’.Earlier, Congress MP Manickam Tagore had given an adjournment motion notice in the House to discuss the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and to sought for Teni to be sacked,When the House assembled, Gandhi demanded that the opposition members be allowed to speak on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. “We should be allowed to speak about the murder that was committed in Lakhimpur Kheri, where there was an involvement of the minister and about which it has been said that it was a conspiracy. The minister who killed farmers should resign and be punished,” he was quoted as saying.Also read: Mowing Down of Farmers at Lakhimpur a ‘Planned Conspiracy’, Says SITGandhi also said that Mishra was a “criminal” and urged that he be removed from the Council of Ministers. “This minister should be removed from the government. He is a criminal,” he said. His accusations were met with loud protests by the treasury benches and BJP MPs were seen raising slogans.In connection with the FIR registered in the matter, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had arrested 13 people, including Teni’s son, Ashish. The SIT had also registered another FIR in connection with the lynching of two BJP activists and a driver, who were part of the convoy. Four people were arrested in that case.Another senior Congress leader and MP, K.C. Venugopal, in the meantime said that the government was not prepared to discuss the violence that took place on October 3. Speaking about the SIT report, which had stated that the incident was the outcome of a “pre-planned conspiracy”, he said: “The SIT has given a special report saying it is a clear conspiracy. Parliament is not ready to discuss, it is very unfortunate. Government should come forward with a statement on the issue.”The Lok Sabha was first adjourned till 2 pm after members of opposition parties trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans demanding action against the “real culprits”.When the house reconvened at 2 pm, opposition members once again entered the well and demanded that Teni be made to resign. Amid the sloganeering, environment minister Bhupendra Yadav introduced the Biodiversity Amendment Bill, following which the lower house was adjourned till Friday.Meanwhile in the Rajya Sabha, where the Congress had issued a three-line whip to its members to be present in the House that day, proceedings were adjourned by chairman Venkaiah Naidu within a few minutes of the House convening as the opposition members continued with their protests, seeking a revocation of the suspension orders issued against 12 MPs. Even after the house reassembled, the protests continued and proceedings were thus adjourned for the day.
