Rahul Gandhi trying to misrepresent situation in Lakhimpur Kheri: BJP

The BJP has hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying he was using Lakhimpur Kheri as an opportunity to draw political mileage

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of trying to misrepresent the situation in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri following Sunday’s violence that was triggered when a vehicle ran over protesting farmers and left eight people dead.

BJP said the Lakhimpur Kheri incident was saddening and both farmers’ organisations and the government have agreed to an impartial probe. (ANI Photo/File/Representative use)

Hours after Gandhi accused the Uttar Pradesh government of carrying out a “systemic attack” on farmers, the BJP hit back saying he was using Lakhimpur Kheri as an opportunity to draw political mileage. “What happened in Lakhimpur Kheri is saddening, both farmers’ organisations and the government agreed to an impartial probe. Both sides addressed the country and said a probe will be conducted,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said. He added Gandhi made reckless comments about the violence. “It is not a time for making reckless statements, but he has done that. Irresponsibility has become the second name of Rahul Gandhi.”

Patra criticised Gandhi for being selective in condemning attacks against farmers. He referred to the alleged police action against farmers in Congress-ruled Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh when they were demanding procurement of rice on the minimum support price (MSP). “What is this selective politics? In Hanumangarh farmers were attacked. Have he asked (chief minister) Ashok Gehlot about the incident?”

Patra accused previous the Congress-led government of carrying out “systemic attacks on farmers” by not implementing the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Committee on MSP for eight years.