The violence was triggered when a car ran over a group of farmers protesting against the three farm laws enacted last year. Local farmers have blame junior home minister Ajay Mishra Teni and his son Ashish Mishra for the violence. Farm groups say a Mahindra Thar owned by Mishra mowed down protesters from behind. The minister and his son have denied the charge. Some unverified videos of the incident have appeared to back the farmers’ version of the incident.
The Congress leaders cited above the legal plan involved an appeal to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), moving the Supreme Court for a monitored probe into the incident and challenging the imposition of Code of Criminal Procedure Section 144. The section bans the assembly of over four people and was cited to detain Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and prevent her from visiting Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the farmers killed there. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra eventually visited Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday along with Rahul Gandhi.
“We even prepared the legal note,” said one of the two Congress leaders, requesting anonymity. The leader added leaders including both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi instead decided to fight it politically.
“So far, no mainstream Opposition party has gone to the NHRC to seek its intervention in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. But we had a plan. …even within our own organisation, a section was sceptical…” said the second leader on condition of anonymity.
The plan to move the court was kept in abeyance as the party felt that it was important for the Congress leaders to first reach Lakhimpur Kheri to step up pressure on Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath government.
“The state government has ordered a probe by a retired judge. Thus, at this stage, a fresh demand for a court-monitored probe was found unnecessary. But we can make a demand for a court-monitored probe at an appropriate time if we see the investigation is not progressing in the right direction.”