Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Tikait gives UP govt week's ultimatum to arrest Union minister's son

Bahraich: Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday gave a week's ultimatum to the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government for arresting Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra's son, accused in an FIR of being behind farmers' death in Lakhimpur Kheri.

"We have given a week to the government to arrest the son of the Union MoS (Home). We all will gather here again on the day of 'bhog' (a ritual during the 13-day post-death mourning period) and then will discuss and decide the future strategy," Tikait told newspersons here.

Tikait, who visited the house of Gurvinder Singh, a farmer from Moharnia village here killed in the Lakhimpur violence, said the minister's son was seen by many people at the spot on a fateful day.

"People have several videos that will come up as soon as the net is restored," he said.

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"The district administration has said they will arrest the minister's son in a week. If it does not happen, we will assemble at one place on the day of 'bhog' of all four farmers, when it is held in eight to ten days. We will then discuss and decide our next strategy," he added.

Tikait said people of the area have told him that the minister and his son are criminals.

"They are involved in diesel theft. They have three petrol pumps in Nepal where diesel is cheaper by Rs 15 to 20," he said.

Union MoS (Home) Misra's son Ashish Misra alias Monu has been named in an FIR lodged at a Lakhimpur Kheri police station.

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According to a report from Lakhimpur Kheri, district officials on Tuesday night handed over compensation cheques of Rs 45 lakh each to the kin of two Kheri farmers under the agreement between agitating farmers and authorities.

The deceased farmers whose kin were given the compensation cheques are Lavpreet Singh of Palia tehsil and Nakshatra Singh of Dhaurahra tehsil.

Lakhimpur Information Office, in a statement on late Tuesday night, said Kheri District Magistrate Arvind Kumar Chaurasia handed over a cheque of Rs 45 lakh to the family members of deceased Lavpreet Singh at their residence at Chaukhara Farm.

It further said Chief Development Officer Anil Singh along with ADM (Finance & Revenue) Sanjay Kumar Singh reached Namdarpurwa in Dhaurahra tehsil and handed over the compensation cheque to the family members of Nakshatra Singh. 

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