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Lakhimpur violence: Priyanka leads silent protest demanding removal of minister
None of the protestors spoke anything, they just sat there and waved placards with messages – “We will fight, we will win” and “Dismiss MoS”
LUCKNOW Congress leaders led by party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday observed ‘maun vrat’ (silent protest) at the Gandhi statue near Lucknow’s Grand Post Office (GPO) and other places across UP, demanding dismissal of Ajay Mishra from the post of Union minister of state for home affairs, over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
The protest, as part of the nationwide agitation of the Congress, was held on the day when the police secured three-day custody of the minister’s son Ashish Mishra for interrogation. He was arrested on Saturday by the UP Police in connection with the October 3 violence in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed.
Late on Saturday night, he was produced before a court, which sent him to 14-day judicial custody. On Monday, the police got his three-day custody.
Congressmen sat on a ‘maun vrat’ in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area, demanding the dismissal of the Union minister, a party spokesperson said. Party workers and leaders, including state president Ajay Kumar Lallu, CLP leader Aradhana Mishra, leader in the legislative council Dipak Singh among others converged at the GPO Park here and were were later joined by Priyanka Gandhi, the spokesperson said.
None of the protestors spoke anything, they just sat there and waved placards with messages – “We will fight, we will win” and “Dismiss MoS.”
The Congress and all other opposition parties have been demanding dismissal or resignation of the minister for ensuring a free and fair investigation into the Lakhimpur violence case.
On Sunday, addressing a rally in Varanasi, Priyanka Gandhi had said, “Congress workers do not fear anyone, even if you put them in jails or beat them up. We will continue to fight till the Union minister resigns. Our party has fought for the country’s Independence. No one can silence us.”
UP minister Sidharth Nath Singh, however, took a jibe at the Congress saying law will take its course and will not be influenced by any kind of pressure. He said: “As far as the maun vrat is concerned, it is the party whose prime minister was on maun vrat for 10 years.”
Singh said if Congress leaders want to sit on a maun vrat or hold protests, it is their democratic right.
He also said why protests were not held in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where atrocities were allegedly being committed against Dalits and farmers. “We will send them (Cong leaders) Google maps for the routes to Rajasthan and Chhattigarh. Why are they not going to Chhattisgarh where farmers were killed or Rajasthan where a Dalit was mob lynched,” asked Singh.
Sidharth Nath Singh also tweeted the Google Maps routes of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from Lucknow and tagged Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in it.
