'One-man commission' for investigation of Lakhimpur Kheri incident just "formality", says Manish Sisodia

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over its decision of setting up a single-man commission to investigate the Lakhimpur Kheri incident saying it is just a "formality".

Speaking to ANI, Sisodia said, "Setting up of one-man commission is just a formality by the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate the case. Why the accused is still roaming free and not punished yet?"

Hitting out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly misusing their power, Sisodia said that the accused is not still not punished because he is the son of a BJP leader and union minister. "I ask why those ministers are still in the cabinet," he added.

The Uttar Pradesh government today appointed retired Allahabad High Court Judge Pradeep Kumar Srivastava as a single-member Commission to enquire about the entire incident of death of eight persons in the Lakhimpur Kheri district on October 3.

The Commission was asked to complete the enquiry within a period of two months.

Earlier on Monday, Sisodia demanded the resignation of the Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni and immediate arrest of his son. He also attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth-led government for "throwing" the atmosphere of the state into "anarchy".

"The country has seen how the son of a Union Minister of BJP government has trampled farmers with a car and killed them. Shamelessly, the Yogi government has made Uttar Pradesh a jungle raj and has thrown it into an atmosphere of anarchy," he said.

"Our demand is that his son should be arrested immediately and the minister should be removed from his post," he added.

As many as eight people were killed on Sunday in Lakhimpur Kheri following violence that broke out after a car hit protesting farmers.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of several farmer unions, issued a statement on Sunday regarding the incident claiming the death of four farmers and alleged that one of the four farmers was shot dead by Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni's son--Ashish Mishra, while the others have been allegedly run over by the vehicles of his convoy.

However, Ashish Mishra refuted SKM's allegations and said he was not present at the spot where the incident took place.

( With inputs from ANI )

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