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Lakhimpur violence: Ajay Mishra Teni says his son will report to police on Saturday
Ajay Mishra Teni also said that his son skipped the police summons because of “ill health” and was at his residence in Lakhimpur Kheri
Union minister of state (MoS) for home Ajay Mishra Teni on Friday evening said his son Ashish Mishra would report to the police “tomorrow (Saturday)” in connection to the summon issued to him over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. He reiterated that his son Ashish Mishra was “innocent”.
The Union minister also said that his son skipped the police summons because of “ill health” and was at his residence in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Ajay Mishra Teni said this to newspersons at the Chaudhary Charan Singh airport in Lucknow on his return from New Delhi.
The Lakhimpur police had pasted a notice at the Union minister’s house in Lakhimpur on Thursday afternoon, asking his son to report at the Crime Branch office in Lakhimpur by 10am on Friday. When the son failed to show up on Friday, the police pasted another summon, asking him to record his statement by 11am on Saturday.
Deputy inspector general (Headquarters) Upendra Agarwal, who is heading the team probing the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, waited for him at the crime branch office on Friday morning but Ashish did not show up.
At the Lucknow airport, the MoS, whose son faces a murder case in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 3, said: “We have full faith in the law. My son is innocent. He will appear before the police tomorrow and give his statement and evidence as he is innocent.”
He further said: “Our government is investigating the matter impartially, and we will take action against the culprits.”
On the opposition’s demand for his resignation and speculation of Ashish having fled to the neighbouring Nepal, the minister said: “Opposition demands anything. My son is very much at his residence in Lakhimpur Kheri.”
The minister reiterated: “My son would have been killed had he been present at the spot (of the incident). Any other party’s government wouldn’t have registered an FIR”.
Before leaving for Bahraich to meet the grieving families there, Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav said in Lucknow: “First of all the MoS must resign immediately...any police person if he goes to MoS for investigation, he will first have to salute the MoS...what kind of probe will the police person do. So minister must resign...pasting summon is just a formality, it’s like going with a flower bouquet to them (minister and his son).”
When asked about speculation of Ashish Mishra having escaped to Nepal, Akhilesh Yadav said: “And if it is true that MoS’s son has escaped to Nepal, then it is out of the UP government’s hand and it won’t be able to do anything...and thus the Government of India should step in.”
