BJP MP Varun Gandhi, who was dropped from the BJP national executive over his tweets on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, on Sunday, said that an attempt is being made to turn the incident into a “Hindu vs Sikh battle”.
Varun and his mother and BJP MP Maneka Gandhi were removed from the BJP national executive on Thursday after party president JP Nadda restructured the top decision-making body.
“An attempt to turn #LakhimpurKheri into a Hindu vs Sikh battle is being made. Not only is this an immoral & false narrative, it is dangerous to create these fault-lines & reopen wounds that have taken a generation to heal. We must not put petty political gains above national unity,” Varun, who has been vocally criticising the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, tweeted on Sunday.
Varun, who represents Pilibhit parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh, had earlier tweeted a video that apparently showed an SUV running over protesting farmers. “The video is crystal clear. Protestors can’t be silenced through murder. There has to be accountability for innocent blood of farmers that has been spilled and justice must be delivered before a message of arrogance and cruelty enters the minds of every farmer,” he had tweeted.
On October 3, eight people, including four farmers, lost their lives after their protest in Lakhimpur Kheri district of UP turned violent.
The farmers protesting over UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit were allegedly mowed down by one of the vehicles which had BJP workers. The other four people who died in the clash include two BJP workers and their driver, who were allegedly lynched by angry farmers, and local journalist Raman Kashyap.
On Saturday, Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra was arrested and sent to 14-day judicial custody in connection with the violence.
The violence that took place months before the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh triggered a massive political storm with the opposition slamming the Yogi Adityanath government in the state.
The Supreme Court earlier this week pulled up the UP government, saying it is not satisfied with the steps taken by it. It questioned the state government over not arresting the accused against whom FIR has been lodged. “What is the message you are sending… Do you treat accused the same way in other murder cases in the country,” the apex court asked the Yogi Adityanath government.
