Kheri visit: Priyanka, Hooda detained; Yadav, Mishra stopped in Lucknow
Priyanka sat on a hunger strike on Monday after being detained in UP’s Sitapur district
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders were detained in Sitapur on Monday, with the party alleging they were not allowed to meet the victims of the violence that erupted during a farmers’ protest in Lakhimpur Kheri a day earlier.
Stopping them in such a way is “undemocratic”, Congress state President Ajay Kumar Lallu said. Eight people were killed on Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers’ protest, claiming the lives of both farmers and BJP workers ahead of a visit to Lakhimpur by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
“Priyanka, Deepender Singh Hooda and other leaders were detained in Sitapur around 5 am,” Lallu said. The Congress leaders had to take alternative routes to reach the bordering Hargaon area in Sitapur as heavy security was deployed on the main roads amid tension in the violence-hit region of Lakhimpur. Meanwhile, Priyanka sat on a hunger strike on Monday after being detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district while she was en route to Lakhimpur Kheri, her party said. As she began her dharna in a PAC guest house in the district, Congress leaders protested outside and raised slogans against the BJP-led state government over her “arrest”.
State party leaders, including spokesperson Akhilesh Singh, swept the road outside the campus of the 2nd battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) during the agitation.
Demanding a judicial probe in the violence, BSP supremo Mayawati said her party’s national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra was stopped in Lucknow to prevent him from reaching Lakhimpur.
“BSP’s national general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP SC Mishra was placed under house arrest late last night at his residence in Lucknow. It is continuing so that the party delegation under his leadership cannot reach Lakhimpur Kheri to get the correct report of the violence. This is very sad and deplorable,” Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.
Security has been beefed up outside the residence of Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, who had announced that he would visit Lakhimpur.
A large police force has been deployed on Vikramaditya Marg, and police trucks have been placed to block the entire road and restrict any possible movement.
The UP Police took to Twitter early Monday to describe the incident as “unfortunate” and said eight casualties have been reported so far as per the district administration.
“ADG LO, ACS Agriculture, IG Range & Commissioner are on the spot & situation is under control. Adequate deployment has been done to prevent any untoward incident,” it added.
Farmers will win fight for justice, says Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said farmers will win this fight for justice.
On Priyanka being allegedly stopped from meeting victims of the violence in Uttar Pradesh, the former Congress chief said those in power fear her courage.
“Priyanka, I know that you will not retreat. They fear your courage. We will ensure that the country’s ‘annadatas’ win this non-violent fight for justice,” he said in a tweet in Hindi, using the hashtag “NoFear”, he said.