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Rahul, Priyanka meet kin of farmers, journalist in Lakhimpur Kheri
Congress leaders assure help in fight for justice, Punjab, Chattisgarh CMs each announce aid of ₹50 lakh for the family members of the victims
Capping a day of hectic political developments, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday night met the family members of two farmers and a journalist who were among the eight people killed in violence in the Tikunia area of Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday (October 3).
As the Uttar Pradesh government permitted Opposition leaders to visit Lakhimpur Kheri subject to certain restrictions, the two Congress leaders consoled the family members of Lovepreet Singh in Palia, Nachhatar Singh at Ramandeep Purwa in Dhaurahra and a journalist, Raman Kashyap, in Nigahasan.
After meeting the family of Lovepreet, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Shared grief with the family of Lovepreet. But until justice is not done, this satyagraha will continue. Won’t forget your sacrifice, Lovepreet.”
While leaving the house of journalist Raman Kashyap, Rahul Gandhi demanded the arrest of the accused persons and said: “Constitutional values are being violated”.
After the Congress leaders met the three families, Priyanka said they would visit the rest of the families on Thursday.
“All three families we met today are not satisfied with just monetary compensation. They want justice, which means the resignation of minister Ajay Mishra and the arrest of his son Ashish. If police can arrest me without a warrant what is stopping them from arresting Ashish Mishra,” she said.
The Congress leaders reached the house of Nachhatar Singh around midnight and stayed for over 20 minutes.
Before that, the meeting with Lovepreet’s family took place at Chaukhra farm in Palia, Lakhimpur Kheri, in the presence of Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel hours after the Uttar Pradesh government released Priyanka from nearly 55-hour detention in Sitapur and allowed her brother Rahul Gandhi to lead the party delegation to Lakhimpur Kheri.
A large number of villagers were also there as the Congress leaders spent nearly half an hour with the family of Lovepreet, assuring them that the party was with the farmers and it would provide all the necessary help in their fight for justice.
Earlier, the Congress leaders had left Sitapur for Lakhimpur Kheri around 6pm. Rahul, along with a Congress delegation comprising the chief ministers of Punjab and Chhatisgarh, went to meet Priyanka in Sitapur after landing at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport in Lucknow on Wednesday afternoon.
Soon after their arrival, both Channi and Baghel announced relief of ₹50 lakh each to the families of those who died in the Lakhmpur Kheri violence.
The permission for the visit to Lakhimpur Kheri was preceded by high drama.
“BJP government’s permission (to go to Lakhimpur Kheri)! What for are they afraid?” said Rahul Gandhi in a tweet in Hindi even as Congress workers staged statewide protests demanding the release of Priyanka.
The state government initially appeared reluctant to allow the Congress delegation led by Rahul Gandhi to reach the state capital on way to Lakhimpur Kheri. After allegedly being denied permission to board the flight to Lucknow, they were soon given boarding passes. When the delegation landed in Lucknow at about 1.30pm, the administration stopped them again.
“I want to move out of the airport. They are not allowing me to move out. What kind of permission is this?” said Rahul Gandhi to media persons there.
He sat on a dharna along with Channi and Baghel inside the airport. Although police stopped a number of them on way, a large number of Congress workers assembled outside the airport and shouted anti-government slogans.
The district administration asked them not to move out of airport from the arrival gate. “We want to go (to Lakhimpur Kheri) in our car, but they (police) want to take us in their vehicle. I have asked them to go in my personal vehicle. They are planning something,” said Rahul Gandhi to media persons there.
Rahul, in a video posted by the ANI, appeared to be heard telling district administration officials: “Are you deciding how I will go? Give me the rule that allows you to tell a citizen about how to go to any place.”
District administration officials were heard replying “Sir, it’s a traffic jam here.” Rahul then said, “I move in a traffic jam every day.” District administration officials then replied, “We have made arrangements for you. Your vehicles are there at the VIP hangar. We are going to escort you till Sitapur border.” After high drama, Rahul, along with members of the Congress delegation, came out of the airport and left for Sitapur, where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined him to go to Lakhimpur Kheri.
Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot’s convoy was stopped near Moradabad on way to Lakhimpur Kheri
Meanwhile, posters reading “nahi chahiye farzi sahanubhooti (don’t want fake sympathy)” came up in Lucknow on Wednesday.
UP government spokesman Siddarth Nath Singh, speaking to media persons, also questioned Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for being adamant on visiting Lakhimpur in violation of prohibitory orders.
“Anyone is free to meet the families of those who have lost their near and dear ones in Lakhimpur Kheri. But currently investigation is underway. They should wait for a few days and then go and meet,” he said.
On a video of Priyanka Gandhi sweeping the floor of her guest house room where she has been kept in Sitapur, the UP minister said that it was good to see her joining PM Modi’s Swachhta campaign.
Professor SK Dwivedi, head of the department of political science, Lucknow University, said “The BJP government has shown a soft attitude towards the opposition viewing that the public opinion may turn against it. The leaders of opposition parties are also guided by political interest with a view to gaining their sympathy in view of 2022 UP assembly elections.”
