UP Violence LIVE Updates: Car That Ran Over Farmers Ours, Son Wasn't In It, Says Union Minister

UP Violence LIVE Updates: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was denied permission to visit Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri today, the state government announced

Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra, whose son Ashish has been named in the police complaint into the deadly violence in Uttar Pradesh that left eight people dead over the weekend, has told NDTV that the vehicle was seen running over farmers, allegedly triggering the clashes, was indeed his. However, the minister said neither he nor his son was present at the spot when the incident happened.

"From Day One, we have been clear that the [Mahindra] Thar is ours, which is registered in our name. And the vehicle was going to receive someone after picking up our workers. Our son was at another venue. From 11 am till the evening, he was organising another event. My son was present there, there were thousands there. There are photos and videos. If you take out his call records and CDR, location... can check all. Thousands of people are willing to give an affidavit also that Ashish Mishra was there," Ajay Mishra told NDTV in an interview.

The incident took place when a group of protesting farmers in the Tikonia area of Kheri tried to block Mr Mishra and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya from visiting. The protesters were upset over a recent speech by Mr Mishra.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was denied permission to visit Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday, the state government announced, amid its efforts at blocking many opposition leaders, including his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who have made a beeline for the district where eight people were killed in Sunday's violence.