Amid growing nationwide outrage over the violence that erupted in Lakhimpur Kheri of Uttar Pradesh last Sunday, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had on Wednesday met the families of the farmers who were killed in the violence. The dreadful incident had happened when the BJP-ruling state is inching closer to the assembly polls and the rampage that killed nine people including four farmers and a journalist would be a heating issue in the polls and the opposition parties are coming together against the BJP and demanding justice for the victims.
On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had visited Lakhimpur Kheri and met with the bereaved families of the farmers. The Gandhis had hugged the family members and promised them all assistance. The Gandhi siblings had arrived in Lakhimpur Kheri after the Uttar Pradesh government had allowed them to visit the district and the government's nod has come hours after Rahul Gandhi had arrived in Lucknow with his delegation that included Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and two Congress Chief Ministers - Charanjit Singh Channi of Punjab and Bhupesh Bhagel of Chhattisgarh.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had been in the state since Monday. However, she was kept under detention in Sitapur, 46 kilometres from Lakhimpur Kheri. She had arrived in the state with several Congress leaders to visit the violence-torn region. She was denied entry and was lodged in a government bungalow in Sitapur. In a video, Priyanka Gandhi said she was not served with the notice for the detention and accused the government of not granting her access to her legal counsel. After three days of remaining under detention, the Uttar Pradesh government had released her on Wednesday, after Rahul Gandhi had arrived in Sitapur to meet her.
The Yogi Adityanath regime has allowed the Gandhi siblings to visit Lakhimpur Kheri and granted the accompany of three people. Following the release from the detention, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi had visited Lakhimpur Kheri and met the families of the farmers killed in the violence. The Gandhis had solaced them and offered a hug and promised them all assistance. While addressing the reporters after meeting the families, Priyanka Gandhi said, "All the three families have said one thing that they are not concerned about compensation but want justice." As Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra's son was accused of mowing down the protesting farmers with an SUV during their protests on Sunday, Priyanka Gandhi had urged Mishra to step down from the post.
She said that the fair and impartial probe into the violence won't be possible till Mishra serves as the Union Minister and he must resign so that the families will get justice. The Uttar Pradesh police had filed an FIR against Mishra's son and commenting on that, Priyanka Gandhi has demanded the arrest of Mishra's son Ashish Mishra and asked why the criminals are not being arrested. The Congress delegation had first visited the home of deceased farmer Lovepreet Singh in Palia tehsil and then, they visited Nighasan tehsil, which is the hometown of slain journalist Raman Kashyap, who died in the violence.
The Congress leaders had then visited the residence of another deceased farmer Nachatar Singh in Dhaurahra tehsil and Priyanka Gandhi has also planned to visit the families of the remaining victims on Thursday. Besides the outreach from the Congress party to pay a visit to the families of the victims, several parties are also been planning to visit the district to showcase that the opposition has been coming under one roof to take on the BJP. Delhi-ruling Aam Aadmi Party had sent its delegation to Uttar Pradesh and the AAP leaders had met the family of Nachatar Singh in Dhaurahra.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also spoken to Nachatar Singh's family over the phone and expressed his condolences. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj party general secretary SC Mishra will be visiting Lakhimpur on Thursday. According to PTI, Akhilesh Yadav will be visiting Nachatar Singh's family at around 1 pm on Thursday as his first stop following which he will be visiting the families of deceased journo Raman Kashyap and farmer Lovepreet Singh.
शहीद लवप्रीत के परिवार से मिलकर दुख बाँटा लेकिन जब तक न्याय नहीं मिलेगा, तब तक ये सत्याग्रह चलता रहेगा।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 6, 2021
तुम्हारा बलिदान भूलेंगे नहीं, लवप्रीत।#लखीमपुर_खीरी pic.twitter.com/TklEi7e5Ok
शहीद सरदार नच्छतर सिंह के परिवारजनों से मिला, शोक संवेदनाएँ व्यक्त की।#लखीमपुर_नरसंहार के इन पीड़ित परिवारों ने दोहरी क्षति झेली है- अपनों को खोने का दुख तो है ही साथ में सरकार भी लगातार वार कर रही है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 6, 2021
लेकिन क्रूरता की इस रात की सुबह ज़रूर होगी।#NyayHokarRahega pic.twitter.com/A1tXRdqPlJ
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