Mumbai: The Indian Congress demanded the immediate dismissal of Union junior home minister Ajay Mishra, whose son Ashish has been arrested for allegedly mowing down four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.
State Congress president Nana Patole, Mumbai party Congress chief Bhai Jagtap and state NCP president Jayant Patil condemned the BJP for opposing the Maharashtra bandh. “Prima facie, it appears that BJP is endorsing the killing of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri…We are not indulging in petty politics, we are condemning the killing of farmers by the son of a Union cabinet member,” they said.
After an hour-long silent protest at Raj Bhavan, Patole said the entire state, including the trading community, observed the bandh called by the MVA partners—Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP. Patole was joined by cabinet memb-ers Ashok Chavan, Aslam Sh-aikh and Balasaheb Thorat.
Patole said following an agitation by Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, the UP government had no option but to arrest Ashish. Sla-mming opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis for opposing the bandh, he said: “Fadnavis has no moral right to speak on farmers’ plight. It was owing to the anti-farmer policy of the BJP, particularly Modi, that farmers are passing through this critical condition.”
NCP minister Nawab Malik too condemned BJP and MNS for opposing the bandh. The Times of India
