Lakhimpur Case: Ajay Mishra is the Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Narendra Modi government
A father cannot be punished for the actions of his son - this, BJP sources have told NDTV, is the ruling party's position on demands from the opposition that junior Home Minister Ajay Mishra must resign, or be sacked, over his son being charged in the Lakhimpur Kheri farm killings.
Sources told NDTV the party's senior leadership is not in favour of precipitate action against Mr Mishra, and that he will not, at this time, be removed from the Council of Ministers.
Sources pointed out, as union ministers and senior BJP leaders have said, that the Lakhimpur Kheri case is sub judice (being heard in court) and that the SIT had yet to file its final report.
Party sources did, however, admit that Mr Mishra's shocking outburst at journalists yesterday (at Lakhimpur Kheri, in fact) was "wrong". The minister had been cautioned, the sources said.
Yesterday, while inaugurating an oxygen plant in Lakhimpur, Mr Mishra was filmed lunging at a reporter who asked him about the charges against his son. He was also filmed throwing abuses at the media.
Mr Mishra has been under pressure since his son, Ashish Mishra, was accused and arrested for the death of four farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri in October.
Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son, Ashish Mishra, arriving at court
The minister - who has refused to submit to that pressure - clocked into his office in Delhi's North Block this morning, even as Congress MP Rahul Gandhi demanded he quit.
Speaking to NDTV after the protests, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the government was unwilling to discuss the issue - a demand of the opposition - as the matter is sub judice.
Mr Gandhi and other opposition MPs were relentless in demanding the minister's sacking yesterday too, with the Congress leader accusing the government of shielding him.
Demands for Mr Mishra's resignation, or sacking, have intensified since the Special Investigation Team (SIT) handling the case said the killing of the farmers was a "planned conspiracy".
The farmers were crushed - allegedly by a convoy of vehicles that included a SUV driven by Ashish Mishra - "with intent to commit murder" and it was "not death by negligence", its initial report said.
The SIT recommended that existing charges against Ashish Mishra and the others - that of 'rash driving' - be modified and those of 'attempt to murder' and 'voluntarily causing hurt' be added.
Ashish Mishra and others are already facing murder and conspiracy charges.