Minister should be sacked to ensure justice, says Priyanka

LUCKNOW/BAHRAICH : The Congress continued to keep up the heat over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in Uttar Pradesh amid assertions that the party’s satyagraha would continue till union minister of state for home, Ajay Mishra Teni, was sacked and his son arrested for his alleged involvement in the violence.

On Thursday evening, Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi met families of two farmers in Bahraich who were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on October 3.

She said that the families of the deceased farmers wanted justice, laying emphasis on a neutral investigation into the Lakhimpur violence. “This should be done…justice can be ensured if the union minister of state for home is sacked because all departments are under his control,” said the Congress leader.

She first met the grieving family of Gurvinder Singh, 19, in Nabinagar village and later the kin of Daljeet in Banjaran Tanda village and assured them justice, said Anshu Awasthi, a UPCC spokesman.

Gurvinder’s uncle Sukhdev Singh said his family expressed gratitude over Priyanka’s gesture. “A leader should be like her. We showed her some

videos related with the Lakhimpur violence. Watching these,

Priyankaji said now she has some more evidence in connection with the violence,” he added.

Later, Priyanka went to Banjaran Tanda village to meet the family of another deceased farmer, Daljeet.

Earlier on way to meet the two grieving families in Bahraich, she spoke to media persons and said the BJP government did not want the truth to come out.

“I wanted to meet the two families of BJP workers (who also died in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident) on Wednesday. I asked the IG that I would like to meet them if their families want to...but he told me ‘no, they don’t want to’. Then I said: Convey my condolences to them,” said Priyanka.

After Rahul Gandhi left for New Delhi on Thursday morning, Priyanka left for Bahraich.

As her cavalcade reached the Barabanki-Bahraich border, district administration officials stopped her vehicle for a while. “Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders were stopped at Barabanki-Bahraich border with the district administration insisting on not allowing more than five persons. After brief arguments, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with PL Punia and others was allowed to proceed to Bahraich. We are coming back with a large group of partymen who were not allowed to proceed,” said Onkar Nath Singh, spokesman, UP CC.

Meanwhile, a Congress delegation staged a brief dharna at

the gates of Raj Bhawan inn Lucknow when they were not allowed inside to submit a memorandum addressed to the President to the governor. UPCC president

sought immediate arrest of Union MoS Ajay Kumar Mishra.

Later, Raj Bhawan informed the delegation that they would be allowed in at 5pm.