Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday ended his day-long hunger protest after Ashish Mishra, the son of Union minister of state Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’, reported to the Uttar Pradesh police for questioning in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Demanding the arrest of Ashish Mishra, Sidhu started the hunger strike on Friday at the Lakhimpur residence of late journalist Raman Kashyap, who was among the eight people killed in the October 3 violence. However, after Mishra showed up for the interrogation a day after he dodged an earlier summons, Sidhu ended his hunger protest.
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Ashish Mishra on Saturday appeared before the Uttar Pradesh police in connection with the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri during which eight people, including four farmers, lost their lives. The minister's son showed up at the Crime Branch office in Lakhimpur Kheri a day after the Supreme Court pulled up the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government over its handling of the case. “This is an offence registered under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (murder charge),” the Supreme Court told lawyer Harish Salve, who was representing the UP government, during the suo motu case hearing. “Do you treat everyone in the same manner? Giving them an invitation that you please come?”
On Saturday, Mishra's legal advisor Awadesh Kumar confirmed that his client was going to arrive before the police, and moments later, the minister's son reported to the cops as scheduled. “We respect the notice and will cooperate in the investigation,” Kumar told the ANI news agency before his appearance.
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday, Mishra's legal advisor Awadesh Kumar confirmed that his client was going to arrive before the police, and moments later, the minister's son reported to the cops as scheduled. “We respect the notice and will cooperate in the investigation,” Kumar told the ANI news agency before his appearance.
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Congress has called for the immediate dismissal of MoS Teni and the arrest of his son, Ashish. Navjot Singh Sidhu met late journalist Raman Kashyap's family on Friday and said, “Nothing is greater than law and justice. But no action is being taken by the state government because the accused is the minister's son.” “Now the law is different for both, people in power and poor people. Police can do anything as they are highly efficient, but nothing is being done in this case,” he added.
On Thursday, too, Sidhu led a march to Lakhimpur and called for “ahuti” (sacrifice) of a minister to restore farmers' faith in the judicial system.