Question on Lakhimpur violence irks CRPF DG; calls it "irritating" [Watch]

The violence in Lakhimpur Kheri in UP has sent shockwaves across the country, triggering a heated debate and a massive controversy. Amidst this, when Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai was attending a press conference in Meerut on Thursday, when he was quizzed on the ongoing debate around Lakhimpur Kheri violence. As the stunned MoS Home left the press conference, CRPF DG came to the rescue and made a controversial remark.

A brief video of Rai's press conference is going viral on social media, in which CRPF DG Kuldeep Singh can be seen lashing out at journalists for asking questions related to Lakhimpur violence. In a sharp tone, Singh referred to the question as "irritating."

"Jis baat ko baat karna hai woh kariye. App irritate kyu karte hai? Aap ko yeh karna hai bahar kariye jaakar. (What is the problem with you. Talk about appropriate things, why do you irritate. If you want to talk about this, go out and talk. (translated)," Singh could be heard saying in the viral video.

What happened in Lakhimpur Kheri?

Nine persons, including four farmers, were killed in the violence that had erupted during a farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri. The farmers were allegedly mowed down by a car on October 3, triggering a violent backlash. Police in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri have arrested two persons in connection with the Sunday violence in Tikunia village in the district. The arrested persons have been identified as Luvkush Rana and Ashish Pandey, according to the police spokesperson.

Both are said to be close associates of Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni. A Lakhimpur police official said that the two were seated in one of the vehicles that mowed down farmers in Tikunia village on Sunday. The FIR has named Ashish Mishra and said that he was driving the car which ran over the protesters. According to the FIR, Ashish also opened fire after getting down from the car and then he went into hiding.

However, a fresh video of the incident suggests that three SUVs were involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence and those cars were not under any attack. The first SUV rammed a group of protesters who were walking with flags at an unexpectedly high speed, followed by the two other SUVs.

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, has asked Uttar Pradesh government to file a status report on who are the accused, against whom FIR is registered and those arrested by Friday. Further raids are on in search of other accused, the official added. However, the minister's son is still untraceable, the official said.