Winter Session of Parliament | Opposition cry for sacking Ajay Misra in Lakhimpur Kheri violence rocks Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha (File Picture)

The Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted on December 15 after leaders of Opposition parties, including the Congress, demanded sacking of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Misra Teni over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

While the MPs of the Congress, DMK and the Left parties stormed the well of the Lower House raising slogans against Teni, Speaker Om Birla made repeated requests to let the question hour function.

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Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi raised COVID-19 concerns pointing at MPs not wearing masks. When the MPs continued their protest, Birla ordered adjournment of the House till 2pm. When the Lok Sabha reconvened again at 2 pm, the protests and slogans by Opposition members returned and the House was adjourned again till next day, December 16.

Eight people were killed in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 after being knocked down by a vehicle allegedly driven by Ashish Misra, the son of Ajay Misra Teni.

The protests in the Lok Sabha came a day after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case said that the killing of farmers was “pre-planned” and wrote to the judge seeking modification in the charges against the accused.

READ: Lakhimpur Kheri: SIT finds killing pre-planned, seeks to invoke attempt-to-murder charges

Earlier in the day, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi gave an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha for discussing the SIT report in the House. “I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance,” he said in the notice.

Top Opposition leaders met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to chalk out a strategy for the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament on December 14.

Also, read: Lakhimpur Kheri violence sparks political storm in UP

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP TR Baalu, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were among those present in the meeting.

The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned repeatedly on December 15 with Opposition MPs continuing their protest against the suspension of 12 MPs. The leaders held a march from Parliament to Vijay Chowk, demanding rollback of the suspension.

Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal called the demand for a debate on Lakhimpur Kheri violence "baseless".

"It's a baseless issue. The investigation is going on as per SC instructions and discussion on sub judice matters can't happen as per parliamentary rules," Goyal told news agency ANI.