Congress leaders on Monday staged a silent protest in different States demanding the dismissal of Union Minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
In Lucknow, Congressmen, led by party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, sat on a ‘maun vrat’ in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at State headquarters, demanding the dismissal of the Union Minister.
UP Minister Siddharth Nath Singh, however, said the law will take its own course and will not be influenced by any kind of pressure. Singh said if the Congress leaders want to sit on a ‘maun vrat’ or hold protests, it is their democratic right.
In an apparent jibe at Manmohan Singh, the UP government spokesperson said a prime minister had been on ‘maun vrat’ for 10 years.
Delhi Congress leaders and workers, led by Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar, sat on a ‘maun vrat’ near the lieutenant governor’s office. Former Union ministers Ashwini Kumar and Krishna Tirath were among those who attended the protest.
The Indian Youth Congress leaders and workers also sat on a ‘maun vrat’ at the Jantar Mantar in the national Capital.
Several Punjab Congress leaders sat in protest. Punjab Congress working president Sukhwinder Singh Danny, MLA Inderbir Singh Bolaria, party’s state unit general secretary Yoginder Pal Dhingra along with other Congress workers held the silent protest at Amritsar. They carried placards seeking justice in the case. Similar protests were also held in Phagwara and Jalandhar.
The grand old party had asked all its state and Union Territory chiefs to observe a three-hour ‘maun vrat’ on Monday as part of their protest demanding the immediate removal of Union minister Ajay Mishra amid the arrest of his son Ashish Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
To mount more pressure, the party has also sought time from President Ram Nath Kovind to apprise him about the loopholes being made deliberately to help the Lakhimpur Kheri violence accused which involves son of the Union minister.