Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal (file photo)

Lakhimpur violence: Kapil Sibal questions Modi's silence

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal asked Prime Minister Modi why the latter was keeping silent on the violence that claimed eight lives in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. As per a report by NDTV, Sibal on Friday tweeted that the country needs just a word of sympathy from the PM, which is not difficult. He asked whether Modi's reaction would have been this had he been in opposition.

The Congress has been demanding the resignation of union minister Ajay Mishra, whose son allegedly rammed his SUV into a crowd of protesting farmers. The party was also attacking both the union government and Yogi Adityanath's UP government over the gruesome incident.

It was only days after the incident, the state police summoned Mishra's son for questioning. The police informed on Thursday that two people, who were at the location of the incident were arrested. Ajay Mishra has admitted that the SUV belongs to him, but he denied that this son was present at the site of violence.

Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi had visited Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday and met families of the deceased. Priyanka told reporters that if Ajay Mishra is not sacked, PM Modi is serving the people a message that if someone is in power, he could do anything.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court while hearing a petition on the Lakhimpur incident, questioned the UP government on the number of people arrested. It asked the state government to submit a status report by Friday.

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