Lakhimpur Kheri violence ‘condemnable’, but talk about all such incidents ‘equally’: Nirmala Sitharaman

Jammu, October 13: The Lakhimpur Kheri violence, in which four farmers were killed, is “absolutely condemnable,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday. However, Sitharaman also said that there are issues of such nature happening in other parts of India equally which should be raised “when they happen and not when it suits others” because there is a BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.

Sitharaman, who is on an official visit to the US, was responding to a question during a conversation at Harvard Kennedy School on Tuesday about the killing of four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri and the arrest of Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra.

Sitharaman was asked why there is no word on this from the prime minister, senior ministers and why there is a “defensive reaction” when somebody asks questions about such things.

“No, absolutely not… It’s nice of you to have picked up that one incident which is absolutely condemnable, every one of us say that. Equally, there are instances happening elsewhere, is my concern,” she said.

“And it’s not being defensive about my party or my Prime Minister. It’s being defensive about India. I will talk for India, I will talk for justice for the poor. I will not be mocked at. And if it is mocking, I will be defensive to stand up and say ‘Sorry, let’s talk on facts’. That’s my answer for you,” Sitharaman further added.