India's Opposition Party Congress to Hold Protest Over Lakhimpur Kheri Violence
10:04 GMT 05.10.2021 (Updated: 20:37 GMT 19.10.2022)
© AFP 2023 / TAUSEEF MUSTAFASupporters of India's opposition Congress party shout slogans during a demonstration in Srinagar on October 5, 2021, after at least nine people were killed in a recent incident involving protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
© AFP 2023 / TAUSEEF MUSTAFA
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On Monday, several leaders were detained and barred from entering Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri District after nine people died on 3 October when a convoy of federal Minister Ajay Misra's son allegedly hit a group of farm protesters, leading to violent clashes on Sunday.
India's main opposition party Congress is set to hold a nationwide protest on Tuesday against the violence that took place in Lakhimpur Kheri District of Uttar Pradesh state and led to farmers' deaths and injuries.
The party is also demanding the release of its key politician Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi was detained by Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday while trying to visit and meet the family members of the deceased farmers.
"Congress will hold protests outside District Collectors' offices across the country in support of farmers," Manoj Lubana, Chandigarh Youth Congress president, told Sputnik over the phone.
He also demanded action against those who were responsible for the killing of nine people in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Members of Women Congress, All India Kisan Sabha& All India Democratic Women's Association staged a protest outside UP Bhawan in Delhi today on Lakhimpur Kheri violence
— شاہنواز shahenwaz alvish (@alvish1010) October 5, 2021
8 people, including 4 farmers, died on Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri pic.twitter.com/NtcEvXvQUP
Demanding the immediate release of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he said that she has been arrested without any official complaint.
"[Prime Minister] Narendra Modi, your government has kept me detained for the last 28 hours without an order or FIR. But the person who trampled over these farmers has yet to be arrested. Why?" Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday said in a tweet.
.@narendramodi जी आपकी सरकार ने बग़ैर किसी ऑर्डर और FIR के मुझे पिछले 28 घंटे से हिरासत में रखा है।
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) October 5, 2021
अन्नदाता को कुचल देने वाला ये व्यक्ति अब तक गिरफ़्तार नहीं हुआ। क्यों? pic.twitter.com/0IF3iv0Ypi
Congress supporters on Monday gathered outside the state government guest house in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow where Priyanka Gandhi is detained and demanded her release.
On Sunday, clashes broke out in the district's Tinsukia Village after vehicles in the minister's convoy allegedly ran over some farmers who had blocked the road as part of a protest against the federal government's three controversial farm laws.
The protest ended after the farmers agreed to remove the road blockade on the assurances that the family of the bereaved farmers would be given an ex-gratia payment of INR 4.5 million ($60,500) along with a government job for one member.
The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has also registered a case against the federal minister's son and assured that a retired High Court judge would investigate the matter.