Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
A day after the shocking incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri, where 8 people died after being allegedly run over by the son of MoS Home Ajay Mishra, a video is going viral online, where the union minister is heard warning the protesting farmers, ‘Sudhar jao warna hum apko sudhar denge… 2-minute lagega’ (change your acts or we will set you right). A fact check by Newschecker has found the video to be true.
The video has been shared by many people and has seen over 1000 retweets and over 500 likes on Twitter.
The video is reportedly from the 25th of September when Ajay Mishra was speaking to farmers at an event in the Palia area of Lakhimpur Kheri. An article published in the Hindi daily Navbharat Times on the 26th September reads –‘Lakhimpur Kheri: No thaw in farmers’ fury, MoS Home Ajay Mishra shown black flags by farmers’.
The report says that the minister, who was en route to another event (in Sampoorna Nagar, Palia), was shown black flags by angry farmers, who were forcibly removed from the road.
Following the threat, unhappy farmers in the region held protests against the Minister’s remark. A video, tweeted out by handle @JasZMangat on September 27, shows farmers giving a memorandum to SDM Palia, lodging their protest over Ajay Mishra’s comments.
The farmers’ umbrella organisation the Bhartiya Kisan Morcha (BKM), freshly re-energized with the success of the recent Bharat Bandh on September 27, also condemned Ajay Mishra’s remarks by holding protests.
The brewing tension reached its peak on October 3 when 8 people lost their lives, including 4 farmers. According to the protesting farmers, the minister’s son was among others who ran over peacefully protesting farmers with their car, killing four farmers, and triggering violent retaliation.
The Uttar Pradesh police have reportedly booked Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra and others for murder, and a retired High Court judge is set to probe the matter. The government has also promised compensation of `45 Lakh to the family of those who died.
Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra, however, told news agency ANI that he was not present at the spot during the incident and that farmers threw stones at the convoy meant to welcome UP Dy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, and attacked them with lathis.
The tragic episode has once again brought the spotlight on the farmer’s agitation in the state, which is due for elections next year.
Result: True
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Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
