Jharkhand Congress delegation led by state party president and comprising two cabinet ministers on their way to Lakhimpur Kheri district were stopped at Wyndhamganj in Sonbhadra district along Jharkhand-Uttar Pradesh border in the wee hours of Thursday.

“The leaders had crossed the Garhwa district of Jharkhand but the UP police which had been expecting our leaders had heavily barricaded the entry point at Wyndhamganj and stopped them.

“We had no option but to sit on a dharna at 3.30am and continued till 7am. Thereafter, the leaders returned back to their respective districts,” said Jharkhand Congress spokesperson Rakesh Kumar Sinha.

Significantly, the delegation was led by state party president Rajesh Thakur and comprised state health minister Banna Gupta and state agriculture minister Badal Patralekh and several MLAs and had left Ranchi on Wednesday late evening by road route for Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the families of farmers killed.

“We wanted to meet our leader Priyanka Gandhi and go to Lakhimpur Kheri. But excuses of Section 144 were made by the police. This is totally unconstitutional. The UP government is behaving in a dictatorial manner, they are not even ready to arrest us. It is such a cowardly government and they have no right to stay in power,” said Rajesh Thakur.

A total of eight people, including four farmers. died in the violence that took place in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3.

Farmers outfit have alleged that Ashish Mishra Teni, son of Union minister of state for home affairs Ajay Mishra Teni arrived with three vehicles around the time that farmers were dispersing from their protest at the helipad and mowed down farmers and towards the end also attacked SKM leader Tajinder Singh Virk directly, by trying to run a vehicle over him.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders are awaiting instruction from party central leadership on future course of action.

“We will continue to express solidarity with the farmers’ agitation and also with the bereaved family members of farmers killed in UP.

“The leaders after spending several hours in the UP-Jharkhand border have started returning to their respective districts. We are waiting for a directive from party high command on the future course of agitation,” informed Rakesh Kumar Sinha.

Left parties backed All India Kisan Sabha Jharkhand chapter which had burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath across different districts of Jharkhand on Monday have started holding meeting at panchayat and block levels to inform farmers about oppressive activities unleashed against farmers by the BJP-led government at the Centre and also in Uttar Pradesh.