Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni on Wednesday allegedly snatched a reporter’s mobile phone, advanced menacingly on another and shouted expletives after being asked to comment on a special investigation team’s finding that the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre was “pre-planned”.

Teni’s son Ashish Mishra is among 13 people arrested after a Thar jeep belonging to the minister led a convoy in mowing down four farmers and a journalist near Teni’s home in Lakhimpur Kheri district on October 3. On Tuesday, charges of rash driving and causing death by negligence against the accused were replaced with the charge of attempt to murder after the SIT told the court that the killings were planned.

The Opposition on Wednesday stalled the Lok Sabha to press its demand for the dismissal of the Union minister of state for home, carrying placards that said: “Modiji, sack Teni.”

Teni, who was in Lakhimpur Kheri, seemed to lose his cool as he was confronted by reporters while leaving a government hospital after inaugurating an oxygen plant.

As the reporters asked the minister to comment on the SIT’s statement, Teni pushed a journalist and snatched the phone on which he was recording the scene.

“Arrey phone bandh kar (Hey, switch off your phone),” the minister seems to say in the video shown on television channels and widely circulated on social media.

Teni appears to say in a raised voice: “Arrey poochho (Ask me). Has the chargesheet been filed?”

As the reporter says “SIT ne kaha (The SIT has said)…”, Teni cuts him short.

“Toh SIT se poochh na (Then ask the SIT),” the minister says, descending from poochho to the less polite poochh.

Teni purportedly adds, “Yahi tumhare media wale hain na yahi ***** ****** ne ek nirdosh admi ke liye banaya”, aiming the expletive at the media in general, calling journalists thieves, and appearing to suggest they are falsely implicating an innocent person.

“Kya janna chahte theh (What did you want to know)?” the minister purportedly asks the reporter, waving a hand menacingly in front of his
face.

“Batao, kya poochhna chahte theh (Tell me, what did you want to know)?” he repeats.

Another reporter, standing to the left, objects to the minister’s language, saying: “Aapko aise nahin bolna chahiye (You shouldn’t speak like this).”

A furious Teni can be seen almost springing on him, shouting an expletive, but with the crowd and security blocking the view partially, it cannot be ascertained whether he lays hand on the reporter.

After a few seconds, Teni is seen walking out of the hospital, Matri Shishu Aspatal in Oel, 10km from Lakhimpur Kheri town.

“Teni has shown his true colours. Modi’s minister had threatened the farmers in September and today he attacked us,” a reporter said, asking not to be quoted.
A group of reporters later met district magistrate Mahendra Bahadur Singh and submitted a memorandum seeking action against Teni.

On Tuesday, a court in Lakhimpur Kheri had accepted an application from the SIT, which had been reconstituted on the Supreme Court’s orders, that said the October 3 killings were “premeditated” and “pre-planned”.

Following this, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which had spearheaded the yearlong farmer protest against three contentious (and now repealed) farm laws, has renewed its demand for Teni’s dismissal from the Union ministry and arrest.

Days before the carnage, Teni had allegedly issued a public threat to local farmers, saying he would fix them if they continued protesting against the three farm laws.

“They should know my past. If I return to my original self, there will be no room for them in Lakhimpur Kheri,” Teni had allegedly said at a meeting of his supporters.

A group of farmers were returning after a protest against the minister’s purported remarks when a convoy of SUVs ploughed into them from behind.