Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was detained early on Sunday by the Uttar Pradesh police as she headed to meet the families of the farmers killed in the violence unleashed by BJP men and the people associated with Union minister Ajay Mishra including his son during an anti-farm laws protest the previous day.
“Today’s incident shows that this government is using politics to mow down farmers. This is the farmers’ country, not BJP’s… I’m not committing any crime by deciding to meet the victims’ kin…Why are you stopping us? You should have a warrant,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
Congress accused Uttar Pradesh Police of manhandling Priyanka Gandhi. Saying that it will continue its fight for justice, the Uttar Pradesh Congress alleged that Priyanka Gandhi’s clothes were pulled and her arm was twisted by the police.
On Sunday, four farmers were among eight persons killed in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri after a convoy of three SUVs, including one owned by Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, hit a group of farm protesters. The protest leader said one farmer was killed in firing by minister Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra.
Farm leaders are conducting protests in all districts across the country on Monday to demand punishment for the culprits.
They also seek the “arrest of the Minister and his son” who, they said, was driving one of the SUVs. They called for a probe by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.
