Rakesh Tikait, Owaisi Demand Strict Action Against Ajay Misra For Abusing ABP News Reporter

Several leaders, mainly from the Opposition parties, have condemned the act by the Union Minister and demanded strict action against the BJP leader for abusing the reporter.

New Delhi: In an act of mortification, Union Minister Ajay Misra on Wednesday hurled abuses at an ABP News reporter who asked questions about charges against his son Ashish in the violence case. A video of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister abusing the journalist has gone viral on social media where he can be heard calling reporters 'chor' (thieves).

Misra has been on the radar of the Opposition parties over his son's alleged involvement in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

Several leaders, mainly from the Opposition parties, have condemned the act by the Union Minister and demanded strict action against him for abusing the reporter.

Farmers' leader Rakesh Tikait too reacted to the incident and said that a case of violence must be registered against the BJP leader for manhandling the journalist. 

While speaking to ABP News, Tikait said that a hooligan will always do hooliganism. "Such person will never do protest, they will steal, rob and kill people and continue to do that," Tikait said.

The farmer leader also demanded resignation of Mishra and even asked BJP to sack him from the party.

Even All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the incident and reiterated his demand to remove Mishra from his post.

"From day one, we've been saying that it is a pre-planned murder. Modi govt should suspend (MoS) Ajay Mishra. I'm very sure that PM will not suspend him because he needs that minister's upper caste votes in upcoming UP polls," Owaisi said.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sushil Gupta said that it shows the arrogance of government and its ministers. "He (Mishra) misbehaves with journalists, snatches their mobile, uses foul language. PM Modi should immediately sack him and apologies to the nation. 

Mishra rough behaviours comes a day after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence said it was a "pre-planned conspiracy" also sought to substitute lesser charges in the case with graver ones.

The SIT has submitted before a court that the killing of the four farmers and a journalist in Lakhimpur Kheri, in which Ajay Mishra's son Ashish is among the 13 accused, was a "pre-planned conspiracy".

The violence took place in Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri district on October 3 left a total of eight people, including two BJP workers, dead and two separate FIRs were filed in connection with the incident.