Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Centre, UP govt tried to protect MoS Teni's son Ashish Mishra, says Cong leader Tariq Anwar

New Delhi [India], October 11 : Congress leader Tariq Anwar on Sunday alleged that the Central and the Uttar Pradesh governments tried to protect Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Ajay Mishra Teni who was arrested for his alleged involvement in Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
"Everyone from the Centre to the Uttar Pradesh government tried to protect Ashish Mishra. He was being given VIP treatment. There were many leaders from Congress and other opposition parties who were demanding his arrest. Had Congress not raised this demand, Mishra would not have been arrested. It was too late on part of the government and the police to arrest him," he said.
Ashish Mishra was arrested on October 9 after 12 hours of interrogation by the Crime Branch of Uttar Pradesh police in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
The Uttar Pradesh Police will file an application before a court in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday seeking custody of accused Ashish Mishra in the incident that claimed the lives of eight people earlier this month.
On the issue of Rahul Gandhi-led delegation of Congress leader meeting President Ram Nath Kovind regarding the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, Anwar said that Congress had no choice other than an appointment with the President since the Centre was involved in a "conspiracy" against farmers.
"The President is the highest post as per the constitution. People have a right to take the issues of the nation to him because the government has been a failure and is involved in a conspiracy against farmers. Congress has no other choice than meeting the president," he said.
The Congress on Sunday wrote to the Rashtrapati Bhavan seeking an appointment with President Ram Nath Kovind for a 7-member party delegation led by Rahul Gandhi to meet him and present a detailed memorandum of facts in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident that claimed the lives of eight people earlier this month.
Anwar also said that BJP leader Varun Gandhi was right in saying that the Lakhimpur Kheri incident was being given a communal, Hindu versus Sikh colour and alleged that the BJP always gives a communal colour to every important issue.
On the issue of the coal shortage in the country, he said, "It is a matter of concern because it is directly related to the development and everything runs on electricity. Many state governments, including the Delhi government, have raised the issue of the coal shortage in India. But the Centre only wakes up when everything has been destroyed. We saw it during the times of COVID-19 and many other issues, due to which the country had to suffer."
In an official release, the Ministry of Coal said any fear of disruption in the power supply is entirely misplaced. "The coal stock at power plant end is about 72 lakh tonnes, sufficient for 4 days requirement, and that the Coal India Limited (CIL) end is more than 400 lakh tonnes, which is being supplied to the power plants," said the release.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday claiming that there is a coal shortage situation that has affected the power generation plants supplying power to NCT and requested him to intervene in the matter.