A namesake Parliament

The pressure for the resignation of Union Minister Ajay Mishra has intensified within and outside the parliament after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) found that the 'accident' in which farmers were run over by SUVs and killed at Lakhimpur Kheri was 'well-planned'. But the actions of the Union government, which has consistently erred in resolving the farmers' protests, show that it wants to stay out of the minister's resignation and deal with it in an undemocratic manner. They showcased that attitude on Thursdayin both houses of the parliament. Speaker Om Birla's refusal to allow all urgent motions tabled by the Opposition MPs in Parliament resulted in the adjournment of the House amidst heated arguments. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu took a similar stand in the Rajya Sabha by denying the debate. The BJP MPs, who interrupted Rahul Gandhi when he addressed Ajay Mishra as a criminal, tried to cover up the allegations by accusing the opposition of being a threat to democracy. The unnecessary arrogance shown by the ruling party in the last few days validates the study that the parliament is becoming the last place for democracy and debate.

Vidyaram Diwakar, an officer in the SIT, has filed a petition seeking the replacement of sections 279, 338 and 304A of the Indian Penal Code with sections 34, 307 and 326 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after it was found that the protesting farmers were killed in a pre-planned vehicle massacre. Agreeing to the same, Chief Judicial Magistrate Chintaram allowed new charges, including attempt to murder charges against 13 accused, including Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Home Minister Ajay Mishra. The influence of Ajay Mishra, also a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri, was as clear as day in all stages of the incident in which eight people, including four farmers and a journalist, were killed. The minister's son and his followers ruthlessly ran over the farmers who went to protest at the Lakhimpur Kheri helipad wherein both UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and Ajay Mishra were about to arrive to attend an event at Banveer.

Had it not been for the intervention of the Supreme Court, the UP government would have shamelessly subverted this heinous act of conspiracy and planning by the top leaders of the BJP in UP. The Minister of Home Affairs and others had repeatedly claimed that the minister's son was not in the convoy that overtook the farmers. They also manufactured a post-mortem report saying that no one had been shot, rejecting the statement of the farmer's parents that he had been shot. However, Yogi Adityanath's UP government reluctantly arrested the accused in the wake of a forensic report that Ashish's licensed rifle had been fired and that three guns had been fired, prompting disapproval by the Supreme Court.

The BJP's attempt to defend Ajay Mishra by arguing that it is unjust to punish his father for the son's crime is politically obscene and a challenge to the rule of law. The Modi government must be willing to show at least the minimum democratic decency to keep Ajay Mishra out of the ministry until the investigation and trial are completed, in order to convince the public of the credibility of the administration. There should be an active debate in Parliament as to who planned the killings in Lakhimpur Kheri. There are no opportunities for urgent resolution on important issues in the country. There is no discussion on legislation affecting all citizens.

If this is the general position of the ruling party, then why build a new namesake parliament building in Central Vista in the city?