• Thursday, March 28, 2024

HEADLINE STORY

UP: Dictatorship in India now, says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi (ANI Photo)

By: Shubham Ghosh

FORMER Indian National Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (6) alleged that farmers of the country were being “systematically attacked” and there is “dictatorship” in India now with politicians not being allowed to visit the northern state of Uttar Pradesh to meet the kin of the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 3.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Gandhi said he will try to visit Lakhimpur Kheri along with two Congress chief ministers – Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh and Charanjit Singh Channi of Punjab – to meet the aggrieved families.

ALSO READ: BJP MP Varun Gandhi slams Lakhimpur Kheri incident

However, police commissioner of UP’s capital Lucknow DK Thakur said the state government has not given a go-ahead to Gandhi’s visit and he will not be allowed to visit Lakhimpur or the nearby Sitapur.

“The UP government has not yet given permission for Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Lakhimpur and has asked him not to come,” Lucknow Police Commissioner D K Thakur told Press Trust of India. “DMs of districts concerned have given us in writing that prohibitory orders are in place there and his visit could create problems. Therefore, he will not be allowed,” he added.

Gandhi’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was on Monday (4) detained when she tried to visit the place of the violence and was arrested the next day.

Shiv Sena slams Modi’s silence on Lakhimpur Kheri violence

Gandhi said no action has been taken despite farmers being mowed down and the names of a central minister and his son are coming up as the accused.

A car of a convoy ran over a group of protesting farmers on Sunday, killing four. The angry mob then retaliated to thrash four persons who were in the car to death, including a journalist. The convoy was on its way to welcome UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area.

“There used to be democracy, there is dictatorship in India now. Politicians cannot go to Uttar Pradesh. We are being told since yesterday that we cannot go to Uttar Pradesh,” Gandhi said.

The Uttar Pradesh Police lodged a case on the complaint of farmers against Ashish Mishra, the son of Union minister of state for home affairs Ajay Mishra but no arrest has been made so far.

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