Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that farmers are being "systematically attacked" and there is "dictatorship" in India now with politicians not being allowed to visit Uttar Pradesh to meet the families of the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
Addressing a press conference, Gandhi said he along with two Congress Chief Ministers -- Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh) and Charanjit Singh Channi (Punjab) -- will try to visit Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the families hit by the violence.
Lucknow Police Commissioner D K Thakur told PTI that the Uttar Pradesh government has not given permission for Gandhi's visit, and he will not be allowed to go to Sitapur or Lakhimpur.
Gandhi charged that farmers are being mowed down and the name of a union minister and his son is coming up, but no action is being taken.
Farmers of the country are being "systematically attacked", he alleged.
"There used to be a democracy, there is a dictatorship in India now. Politicians cannot go to Uttar Pradesh. We are being told since yesterday that we cannot go to Uttar Pradesh," Gandhi said.
Four of the eight dead in Sunday's violence in Lakhimpur Kheri were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area.
The others including BJP workers and their driver were allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and lynched by the protesters.
The Uttar Pradesh Police has lodged a case against Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish but no arrest has been made so far.
In a letter written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath yesterday, the Congress said a five-member delegation led by Rahul Gandhi planned to visit the district. It also called the detention of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra “without any reason or justification”.
Gandhi Vadra, a Congress general secretary, on Tuesday alleged that she was being held illegally at a police compound in Sitapur and no notice or FIR has been provided to her even after her 38-hour detention and was not allowed to meet her legal counsel.
In a statement, she said she has not been produced in front of a magistrate or any other judicial officer and neither has she been allowed to meet her legal counsel, who has been standing at the gate of the compound since morning.
“Presently I am not going into the details of the completely illegal physical force used on my colleagues and me at the time of my arrest as this statement serves merely to clarify the continuing illegality of my confinement at the PAC compound in Sitapur, UP,” she said.
“I have not been served with any order or notice. Nor have they shown me an FIR. I have not been produced in front of a magistrate or any other judicial officer either. I have also not been allowed to meet my legal counsel who has been standing at the gate since morning,” the Congress leader also said.
Gandhi Vadra has been kept in detention since Monday morning after she wanted to meet the families of the victims of the Lakhimpur clashes.
