J’khand Cong contingent makes U-turn after being stopped at UP border
Workers and leaders of the Jharkhand Congress led by state unit chief Rajesh Thakur, who had left for violence-hit Lakhimpur-Kheri in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, were denied entry into the state, leading to a six-hour-long sit-in protest at Wyndhmganj-Garhwa border in the wee hours of Thursday.
However, the UP administration did not budge and the Congress contingent, comprising ministers Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh, returned to capital city Ranchi on Thursday morning.
Atleast eight people were recently killed in Lakhimpur-Kheri allegedly after a car belonging to Union minister of state Ajay Mishra Teni mowed them down during a farmers’ protest.
Attacking the UP government, that had barricades put up at the border it shares with Jharkhand, the state unit chief said they were stopped despite informing the UP government of its plans. “We were going to Lakhimpur-Kheri to support the farmers and strengthen the protest being led by our leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi. The UP government did not allow us entry despite the fact that two state ministers were part of the contingent, and we had informed the state government on Wednesday itself of our plans. Besides, the policemen at the border had no clue as to what to do and why they were stopping us,” said Thakur.
He attacked the UP government led by chief minister Yogi Adityanath of “subverting democracy by force”.
“The Yogi government and the BJP wants to subvert democracy by using brute force of police, but we will not budge. We will chalk out our plans again and reach Lucknow and Lakhimpur whenever required,” Thakur said.
Reacting to the same, the BJP had on Wednesday described it as “political tourism” of the Congress ministers.
“Agriculture minister Badal Patralekh is very concerned about farmers in UP, but he is least bothered about pending dues to farmers against paddy procurement and black marketing of fertilisers in the state ,” said Jharkhand BJP general secretary Aditya Sahu.