Congress seeks to meet President Kovind to discuss violence at Lakhimpur

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Congress has sought an urgent meeting with the President of India over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. The party has written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind. The Congress wrote this letter soon after the son of the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs was taken into judicial custody on Saturday evening. 

“The incident of broad daylight massacre of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh has shaken the ‘conscience’ of the entire nation,” said the Congress in its letter.  The seven-member delegation that wants to meet the President consists of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, AK Anthony, Mallikaarjun Kharge, Ghulam Nabi Azad, KC Venugopal and Adhir Ranjan Choudhary. The delegation will submit a memorandum of facts on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident to the President. 

“Even more tragic are the open warnings given by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni and consequent trampling of farmers under a Thar jeep owned by the minister and his family. Farmers, who are eyewitnesses, have stated that they were run over by the vehicle being driven by Teni’s son,” stated the letter. 

The letter, signed by general secretary KV Venugopala, alleged that no decisive action had been taken despite wider protests and the interventions of the Supreme Court. This is for the second time in the last 10 months when the Congress will meet the President of India through a delegation.

Earlier, a three-member delegation led by Rahul had met the President on December 24 in 2020 demanding the withdrawal of three farm laws, calling them “anti-farmer.” The Congress has also announced to observe “Maun Vrat” (Vow of Silence) in every state headquarters on October 11 against the dilly-dallying attitude of the government in the investigation and taking action against the minister and others in the Lakhimpur incident.

Attacking on the BJP government, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala had recently said: “When fascists rule the country, rule of the law is a farce. When dictators rule a country, rule of law becomes a bundle of funny paper.”