Lakhimpur-Kheri Violence: Rahul Gandhi asked for a discussion on the panel on the incident.
Facing opposition demands for the sacking of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni, the government today said there "is no question of" discussing the subject in parliament as it is in court. Both houses of parliament were disrupted today over a damning probe report that says the killing of farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh was a "planned conspiracy". The report also calls for new charges against Ajay Mishra's jailed son Ashish Mishra, accused of running over farmers with his SUV.
"It is a conspiracy. We want the minister to resign but PM (Narendra Modi) is not ready. The way the government was forced to take back farm laws, it will be forced to sack the minister," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had given notice for a discussion in parliament on the report.
"The probe is on under Supreme Court's directions. Such comments (of opposition) are unfounded," Union minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal told reporters, ruling out a discussion.
Opposition protests forced repeated adjournments.
In his notice to the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said Ajay Mishra, a Minister of State for Home in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, should be sacked after the report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
"The UP police SIT report has highlighted that the massacre of farmers at Lakhimpur was a pre-planned conspiracy and not a negligent act," the Congress MP wrote in his notice this morning.
"The government should immediately sack the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ajay Kumar Mishra, and ensure justice is delivered to the families of the victims," he added.
The SIT report, details of which emerged yesterday, says that farmers were run over at Lakhimpur Kheri, allegedly by an SUV driven by Ashish Mishra, "with intent to commit murder" and it was "not death by negligence".
The charges of rash driving against Ashish Mishra and the others should be modified, cops investigating the case say in the report, asking for an attempt to murder charge and the charge of voluntarily causing hurt. Ashish Mishra and others are already facing murder and conspiracy charges.
The opposition has stepped up demands for the sacking of Ajay Mishra, who remains a Union Minister despite the allegations against his son, who was jailed in October.
The minister met with his son in jail yesterday and appeared no close to resigning.
As the ruling BJP prepares for polls in Uttar Pradesh and four other states early next year, Ajay Mishra has become a huge liability.
The killings at Lakhimpur Kheri caused massive anger among farmers, one of the most important voting blocs in the elections.
On October 3, eight people were killed at Lakhimpur Kheri during a farmers' protest.
After four farmers and a journalist were run over, violence broke out in which three more, including two BJP workers, were killed.
Videos that triggered anger and shock showed an SUV ramming a group of protesting farmers from behind.
The UP government faced many tough questions as the Supreme Court heard a petition on the case.