Current affairs

Finally, Priyanka Gandhi is released from detention: The Gandhi siblings to visit Lakhimpur Kheri!

By alagu, 06 October, 2021
Rahul Gandhi, Yogi Adityanath, BJP, Uttar Pradesh

Finally, amid the long-simmering tensions, the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh had allowed the Gandhi siblings - Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to visit Lakhimpur Kheri in the state, where the violence that burst out on Sunday had killed eight people including four farmers and a journalist. The farmers were protesting against the visit of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya during which an SUV had mowed down the farmers in a broad daylight. 

The farmer leaders had claimed that Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra was in one of the cars, which had mowed down the protesters who were protesting against Maurya's visit. The violence had triggered massive resentment across the country and the Yogi Adityanath government had fueled it through its clampdown drive of detaining and blocking the entry for the opposition leaders to visit the victims. On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh police had detained Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Congress leaders while they were on their way to meet the families of the farmers who were killed in the violence. 

Priyanka Gandhi was kept under detention in Sitapur, 46 km from Lakhimpur Kheri and she has been under detention for the third straight day as the incident had sparked nationwide outrage and several Congress leaders had begun their drive to visit Uttar Pradesh against Yogi's barricade. A party leader has said that Priyanka Gandhi had talked to the family members of the deceased farmers over the phone and she has been in the affirmation that she would visit Lakhimpur Kheri and meet them.

Speaking to PTI, Priyanka Gandhi had slammed the Yogi Adityanath regime and said that the Lakhimpur Kheri incident is not an isolated one and said that the state government's reaction to people raising their voice has been consistently that of violence and suppression. Priyanka Gandhi further flayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on why the latter didn't visit Lakhimpur Kheri during his visit to Lucknow. In a video, the Congress general secretary further asked the Prime Minister why the person behind the killing of four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri has not been arrested yet. She took to Twitter and shared a video in which an SUV can be seen knocking down a group of protesting farmers. 

While she was detained without being charged on Monday, the Uttar Pradesh Police had on Tuesday booked Priyanka Gandhi and ten others for breaching the peace. The opposition had slammed Priyanka's detention unlawful as she was neither served with a notice nor allowed to access her legal counsel. Amid brewing tensions, the Uttar Pradesh government had on Tuesday denied permission to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to visit Sitapur and Lakhimpur Kheri. Rahul Gandhi had addressed the press conference in Delhi and said that he will be visiting Lucknow on Wednesday. 

In the albeit of being denied, Rahul Gandhi had affirmed that he will visit Lucknow with two Chief Ministers. While speaking to the media, Rahul Gandhi said, "There is a dictatorship in India now. Since yesterday we are being told we can't go to Uttar Pradesh." He further said, "Farmers are being mowed down. The name of the Union Minister and his son is coming up but no action is being taken." He reiterated that he will try to visit Lakhimpur Kheri with two Congress Chief Ministers on Wednesday to meet the families of victims. The two Chief Ministers who are going to accompany Rahul Gandhi are Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. 

Rahul Gandhi will lead a 5-member delegation of the Congress party while visiting Lakhimpur Kheri. Despite Lucknow Police Commissioner DK Thakur saying that the government has denied permission to Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader boarded an Indigo plane with his delegation and arrived in Lucknow on Wednesday afternoon to meet the families of farmers who had lost their lives in the violence. Hours after Rahul's arrival, the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh had given its nod allowing the Gandhis to visit Lakhimpur Kheri. 

According to reports, Rahul Gandhi had arrived in Sitapur and met his sister Priyanka Gandhi and the government has said that three people can accompany the Gandhis to Lakhimpur Kheri. After Rahul had met his sister, both of them had left for Lakhimpur Kheri to visit the families of the farmers who died in the violence. Earlier, after reaching Lucknow with Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi has said that his government will provide Rs 50 lakh each to the families of the victims. Several opposition Chief Ministers including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had slammed the UP and the Union government for strangulating democracy. 

Samajwadi Chief Akhilesh Yadav, who said that the BJP government is committing more atrocities than the British, will be visiting Lakhimpur Kheri on Thursday to meet the families of the victims. As Priyanka Gandhi was finally released from detention, she had joined her brother and headed to meet the victims. Meanwhile, the BJP has alleged that Rahul Gandhi is seeking to exploit the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri for politics. While speaking to the reporters, BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra has said that Rahul Gandhi is trying to disturb the atmosphere by spreading confusion and the Gandhi family has nothing to do with farmers. "Rahul Ji, you are trying to cultivate votes, you should avoid it", Patra added. 

 

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