Uttar Pradesh: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reached Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur where his sister and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was in detention. Both the leaders then left for Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the families of farmers who were killed during Sunday’s clashes.
Along with the Gandhis, Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and Deepinder Hooda are going to Lakhimpur Kheri. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel are also part of the convoy.
Another Congress leader, Sachin Pilot, who was going to Lakhimpur Kheri, was stopped by the UP Police in Moradabad.
Rahul Gandhi reached Sitapur in the evening but the police blocked his convoy from following him. This caused a major traffic jam on the Sitapur highway. Congress workers started raising slogans and arguing with the police.
After being placed under detention for over 48 hours, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was released on Wednesday. Sitapur Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) Pyarelal Maurya told PTI that Priyanka Gandhi had been released from detention.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was detained on Monday and a case was registered against her for defying prohibitory orders to visit Lakhimpur Kheri. Priyanka Gandhi was placed under house arrest in Lucknow, but she evaded it and left along with several Congress leaders for Lakhimpur Kheri district. She was later arrested by the police.
Earlier in the day, the Uttar Pradesh government gave permission to Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and three others to visit Lakhimpur Kheri.
Despite this, Rahul Gandhi claimed that he was stopped by a group of CRPF personnel from leaving the Chaudhari Charan Singh airport in Lucknow.
Addressing a press conference later, Rahul Gandhi said, “See this, is the permission! This is the permission of the UP government.”
“I want to ask them, that I am a citizen of the country and have come to UP and want to go (to Lakhimpur Kheri). Now, why am I not allowed to go,” he added. India Today
