Impasse ends as UP govt allows Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra & 3 others to visit Lakhimpur

After a long standoff with the Uttar Pradesh government, Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were allowed to visit Lakhimpur. While the state government had initially denied permission to a 5-member delegation led by Gandhi to meet the kin of the farmers killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, the Wayanad MP decided to go ahead with his visit along with Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. In pursuance of the latest order issued by the UP Home Department on Wednesday, Channi, Baghel and K C Venugopal will accompany the Gandhi brother-sister duo. 

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra detained

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was detained in the early hours of Monday by the police at Hargaon, as she proceeded towards Lakhimpur Kheri. In a video shared by Congress before her detention, Vadra was heard telling the police officials, "If you forcibly take me in this van, you will be kidnapping me. Go and get a warrant before you arrest me. There may be no law and order in this state, but it is there in this country." While sources stated that she was arrested under CrPC Section 151, the Congress general secretary cried foul over the fact that she hadn't been presented before a magistrate within 24 hours.

Addressing a press briefing earlier in the day before leaving for Lucknow, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi asserted, "Whether it is Priyanka, I or anyone else from my family, we don't care if someone manhandles us. We are not affected irrespective of what you do with us. We are talking about farmers. Our family has trained us for many years as a result of which we don't care even if you detain, kill or bury us."

What happened at Lakhimpur Kheri?

As per the FIR lodged by the UP police on Monday, farmers and labourers were peacefully protesting against Ajay Misra and Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya at the playground of the Maharaja Agrasen Inter College on October 3 by showing black flags. The complainant Jagjit Singh mentioned that three vehicles ferrying Ashish Misra and 15-20 unknown persons drove towards the event venue in Banbirpur village at high speed at around 3 pm. He also claimed that Misra was sitting on the left seat of his Mahindra Thar vehicle, fired at protesters and proceeded ahead by mowing down farmers.

Alleging that two farmers succumbed to bullet injuries, the complainant added that Ashish Misra's three cars turned turtle due to high speed which left many passersby injured. After this, he reportedly opened fire again and fled the spot. Lamenting that no action was taken against the Union MoS Home for allegedly threatening farmers, the FIR claimed that this was a "pre-planned conspiracy" by Ajay Misra and his son. However, Ajay Misra and his son have flatly denied these charges claiming that they were not present at the site.