Uttar Pradesh has never been known to be a state where the rule of law applies to all and its police force infamous for controversial actions, some of which have led to deaths both on the streets and in custody. On October 3, agitating farmers had gathered at a helipad to display their displeasure against UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was visiting the village of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra. The farm unions have been disrupting BJP functions in Punjab and Haryana and it was only a matter of time before protests spilled over to UP. The fact that it did, may have also rankled the party in power in the state and it was left to some insane mind to target the protesting farmers. According to video clips and reports, four persons participating in farmer’s protest were mowed down allegedly by a vehicle driven by Ashish Mishra son of union minister of state Ajay Mishra. The vehicle was among those in the convoy. The UP police have filed FIR mentioning the name of Ashish Mishra as the person who was driving the vehicle. The father Ajay Mishra took more than enough time to tell media that there was no proof that it was his son at the wheels of the vehicle that mowed down the protestors. The same day, opposition leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra went to the venue but barred from entering Lakhimpur Kheri. However after dodging UP Police for hours enroute Lakhimpur Khetri, Priyanka was finally stopped on Monday morning and detained at Hargaon police station and taken to a guest house at Sitapur Police Line.While the victims’ families were mourning for the loss of their loved ones, the UP chief minister promised a probe and for good measure, offered ex-gratia of Rs.45 lakh each to the family of the victims including government job. Till date, the UP Police have not even taken Ashish Mishra to custody for questioning while they were super efficient to bar opposition leaders from going to Lakhimpur Khetri and even placed some under preventive detention. The fact that the UP police has gotten nowhere in the case which was registered as murder is a mockery on the law. On the other hand, when UP police waste no time in arresting ordinary people even on mere suspicions, the disinclination to arrest Ashish Mishra who has been named as accused in a murder case is also another blot on the BJP government both in the state and the Centre. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Lucknow for an official function where the UP chief minister was the chief host. What can one make of the fact that Modi even did not utter a single word about the Lakhimpur incident? Does Modi’s silence over the Lakhimpur incident mean assent ? Even if not, the silence is deafening and equally devastating because the prime minister of a country showed he has no empathy for the citizens. If Modi wants to do what he promised-to provide good governance- then he must suspend his MoS Ajay Mishra and let the law of the land take its own course and which will provide justice to the bereaved families.