Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, detained at the guesthouse of the Second Battalion, Provincial Armed Constabulary, in Sitapur since 4.30am on Monday said in a statement at 6.30pm on Tuesday that she had not been served with any written order or notice or shown an FIR until then.
Priyanka and other party leaders were detained early on Monday by Uttar Pradesh police in Sitapur while they were on their way to meet family members of those killed in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday.
The Congress leader said she had seen a “portion of a paper on social media” in which 11 people had been named, “8 of whom were not even present” when she was detained. Issued by the court of a local sub-divisional magistrate, it says the 11 have been booked under Sections 107, 116 and 151 of the CrPC.
All these sections are related to preventive detention because of apprehension of breach of peace.
On Tuesday morning, Priyanka released a video on social media, stating in Hindi: “Modiji namaskar. I have heard that you are in Lucknow to celebrate Amrit Utsav of Independence. I want to ask you whether you have seen this video?”
Someone is seen giving her a mobile phone in which a video is playing and she asks: “I want to ask you (Modi), have you seen this video?”
The video shows a Thar jeep and an SUV running over people on a road. The people are heard yelling and crying. The cars speed away.
“This video shows the son of a minister in your government crushing the farmers under his vehicle. See this video and tell this country why this minister was not suspended?” Priyanka asks.
Eyewitnesses have alleged Union minister of state for home Ajay Misra Teni’s son Ashis “Monu” Misra was at the wheel.
She continues: “You have kept leaders like me in detention without any order or FIR. I want to know why this man is free when Modiji today you are sitting on the dais of a mehfil (gathering for entertainment) of Amrit Utsav of Independence. Do you remember that the farmers had handed us Independence? Even today the sons of the farmers are protecting this country on the borders. The farmers are in trouble for months and raising their voice. And you are ignoring them.”
“I request you to visit Lakhimpur. Those who gave us Independence and give us food, those who are the soul of this country, listen to their woes and understand them. It was your religion to protect them,” Priyanka says in the video.
The Congress leaders during the day shared a video on social media in which a drone is seen flying. A person is heard saying: “This drone has been deployed by the government just above the place where Priyankaji has been detained. It is above the door of her room.”
As the camera through which the video was shot moves down, what appears to be the guesthouse of the Provincial Armed Constabulary comes into view and the person says: “This is the reality of this scared government.”